ON VERS- 



; ■ _ . ■ 




Class 3l 

Book 



Xl 



SUGGESTIONS 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD, 



RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED TO 



THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 



33g IRobert $}otmg. 



" The world is my parish/' — Wesley. 

" For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, 
but that the world through him might be saved." — John hi, 17. 



GEORGE PECK, EDITOR. 

^cm-Work: 

PUBLISHED BY LANE & TIPPETT, 

FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 200 MULBERRY-STREET. 

JOSEPH LQNGKING-, PRINTER. 

1847. 



' .ff! 



la iSxoiiaage 
Drew TiieQiofl. S^na» 



PREFACE. 



In this age of book-making, when so many 
works are issuing from the press, it may be 
fairly presumed, that their authors are influenced 
by different motives. One probably writes to 
improve his finances, a second to display his 
talents, and a third to benefit his fellow-men. 
If the author of the following work be not greatly 
mistaken, his # only motive, in thus intruding him- 
self upon the notice of the public, is a sincere 
desire to promote the salvation of souls ; and 
if its publication should, in any degree, contri- 
bute to that end, he will feel amply rewarded, 
whatever the world's opinion may be of it. 

The writer, having labored for ten years in 
the mission-field, the conversion of the world 
* has long been to Jiim a subject of deep interest ; 
and if any Christians should adopt, and faithfully 
work out, the plan which he has ventured to 
suggest, for the accomplishment of that import- 
ant object, he will feel greatly obliged by their 
communicating to him the result ; it being his 
intention to follow up the present publication 
by others bearing on the same subject. He 



4 PREFACE. 

sends forth this product of his pen with consi- 
derable diffidence ; but he sends it in the name 
of the world's Redeemer, and earnestly prays 
that it may be made a blessing to many souls. 

London, Sept., 1841. 



PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 

The author feels grateful for the kind recep- 
tion his " Suggestions" have met with ; and he 
takes this opportunity of expressing his obliga- 
tions to those ministers of different religious 
denominations who have, in various ways, so 
kindly recommended the volume containing 
them. He has added to the present edition 
many important particulars, which, it is hoped, 
will be found a real improvement. As several 
esteemed friends have already written him, in 
compliance with the request contained in the 
preface of the first edition, he hopes, ere long, 
to publish another small volume detailing the 
success of those efforts in the conversion of 
souls, which, in the following pages, he has 
endeavored to advocate ; and, in the mean time, 
he would respectfully solicit other communica- 
tions on the same important subject. 

December, 1841. 



- PREFACE TO THE SIXTH EDITION. 

It is now three years since the writer first 
published his " Suggestions for the Conversion 
of the World ;" and since that period more than 
fve thousand copies have been sold. His sole 
object in publishing this work was humbly to 
attempt, in dependence upon God, the promotion 
of more extensive and vigorous efforts for the 
salvation of men : and having heard from many 
ministers and laymen, that, in several places, 
where the " Suggestions " have been duly con- 
sidered and acted upon, numerous conversions 
to God have been the result, he has been 
induced to issue the work in a cheaper form, 
that it may be more widely circulated among 
the poor. 

September, 1844. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Conversion — Its nature and importance — State of the un- 
christianized world — Pagans — Mohammedans — Jews — Chris- 
tendom — Morals — Politics — Literature — Commerce — Con- 
version of the world to be expected — Atonement universal — 
Adaptation of Christianity for universal diffusion — Intimations 
of Providence — Pledges already received — Declarations of 
Scripture * Page 9 

CHAPTER II. 

Human agency in the conversion of the world — Truth the 
instrument of conversion — Lay agency — Bishop of Chester's 
opinion on the subject — Religion gives a moral fitness for 
teaching others — Inspires men with a desire to be so employed 
— This duty enjoined — Practice of the primitive church — 
Hilary's testimony — Divine agency in the conversion of the 
world — Pentecost — Subsequent success of the gospel — Divine 
agency still necessary — Importance of keeping this always in 
view 25 



CHAPTER III. 

Obstacles to the conversion of the world — A defective ex- 
hibition of divine truth — Ministerial inconsistency — Hypo- 
crisy in the church — Worldly conformity — Disunion — Covet - 
ousness — Lukewarmness — Idolizing pulpit talent — Evils in 
the domestic circle : L T ngodly marriages ; neglect of family 
discipline ; speaking evil of ministers before children — Tole- 
rating gross offenses in the church — Appointing unconverted 
men to office — Ungodly choirs 44 

CHAPTER IV. 

Individual effort — Importance of system — Plan for the 
world's conveision proposed — Its Scriptural character ; sim- 
plicity ; and probable results — Slow progress of Christianity 



8 CONTENTS. 

— More vigorous and systematic efforts required — Facilities 
for working the proposed measure among the Wesleyan 
Methodists — Numerous advantages connected with the per- 
sonal exertions of private Christians . . Page 70 

CHAPTER V. 

Importance of missionary effort — Number of missionaries 
that should be employed — The church in circumstances to 
support them — Contributions for the spread of the gospel — 
Items for the income and expenditure of the United Kingdom 
— Startling calculations — Easy method of raising funds — 
Contributions of the Wesleyans — Temperance movement — 
To neglect the world's conversion implicates the Christian 
character — Absurdity of praying without giving — Scriptural 
standard of giving— Missionary societies should not interfere 
with each other's fields of labor — Importance of encouraging 
native missionaries — The aggressive principle among new 
converts from the heathen — Missionaries and openings fur- 
nished in proportion to the liberality of the church — The 
spirit of martyrdom still to be cherished . . .91 

CHAPTER VI. 

Systematic effort consistent with divine sovereignty — 
Connection between means and the end — Examples of suc- 
cess — Twelve persons brought to God by a female — Thirty 
by the efforts of three young men — A Wesleyan class doubled 
its numbers every three months — Six members of a family 
led to Christ by a new convert — Effect of a word spoken in a 
draper's shop — Bread found after many days — Christians 
teaching others by detailing the particulars of their own con- 
version — How to speak to others with effect — Letter from a 
lady .... 113 

CHAPTER VII. 

No neutrality in reference to souls — Unfaithful professors 
— Hidden talents — Blood of souls — Many in hell that might 
have been in heaven had Christians done their duty — What 
the lost may probably say on the subject — The cruelty of be- 
ing accessory to the loss of souls — Opposition of such conduct 
to Christ — Importance of saving a soul from death — Multi- 
tudes of sins prevented — The glorious results that may follow 
the conversion of but one soul 125 



SUGGESTIONS 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 



CHAPTER I. 

Scriptural conversion is a gracious change, 
extending to all the faculties of man, and pro- 
ducing, in his fallen nature, a complete and 
saving renovation. It is a change in his under- 
standing ; for " God, who commandeth light to 
shine out of darkness, shineth into his heart," 
opening the eyes of his understanding to know 
himself, and " the things which are freely given 
to him of God." It is a change of his loill; for, 
being made willing in the day of God's power, 
he no longer resists the Holy Ghost, but humbly 
acquiesces in the plan of saving grace, and in 
the various dispensations of divine Providence. 
It is a change in his affections; for they no 
longer wander after forbidden objects, or cleave 
to the dust of the earth, but are " set on things 
above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of 



10 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

God." It is a change in his deportment; for, 
having " put off concerning the former conversa- 
tion the old man, which is corrupt, according to 
the deceitful lusts," and, having " put on the new 
man, which, after God, is created in righteous- 
ness and true holiness," he " walks righteously, 
and godly, and soberly, in the present world." 
It is a change in his condition; for previously 
he was a " slave to divers lusts and pleasures," 
but is now "free from the bondage of sin and 
death ;" he was " an enemy to God by reason 
of w T icked works," but is now his friend, and 
" delights to do whatsoever he commands ;" he 
was a " child of wrath, even as others," but is 
now a " child of God, by faith in Christ Jesus," 
and has " received the Spirit of adoption, where- 
by he cries, Abba, Father." 

Such is the nature of Scriptural conversion. 
Man is not merely reformed, but " created anew 
in Christ Jesus." Having, as a penitent sinner, 
approached the mercy-seat, he has, in the exer- 
cise of simple faith, obtained the forgiveness of 
sin, and an inheritance among them that are 
sanctified ; and thus " old things have passed 
away, and, behold! all things have become 
new." 

To whatever region of our depraved world 
we direct our attention, we shall perceive human 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 11 

nature in circumstances imperatively requiring 
this spiritual regeneration. The Scripture de- 
clares that " all have sinned," and history, with 
ten thousand tongues, bears witness to its truth. 
Man is guilty, and therefore exposed to the 
penalties of the violated law; unholy, and there- 
fore unfit for the paradise of God. Hence the 
necessity of conversion. 

If the population of the globe be estimated at 
one thousand millions, it is probable that six 
hundred and fifty millions are the wretched 
devotees of pagan superstition ; one hundred 
and forty-seven millions the deluded followers 
of the false prophet ; three millions the unbe- 
lieving and scattered seed of God's ancient 
people ; and but two hundred millions, or a fifth 
of the whole human family, the reputed disciples 
of the blessed Jesus. Thus is the world lying 
in wickedness ; and such is the condition of a 
fearful preponderance of its inhabitants, that 
nothing but a Scriptural conversion can save 
them from the wrath to come. This will appear 
from an examination of the moral state of the 
different divisions of mankind, just specified. 

Heathens. — They have tjjeir gods many. 
"The objects of worship in Tartary, the Philip- 
pine Islands, and among many of the savages 
of Africa, are not only the sun, moon, and stars, 



12 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

but the four elements. At Tonquin the several 
quarters of the earth are deified, and almost 
everywhere evil demons. In China a multitude 
of imaginary spirits are worshiped, which are 
supposed to preside over the seasons of the 
year, over rivers and mountains, and even the 
door and hearth of the house, and to influence 
all the concerns of men. In some of the South 
Sea Islands, birds, fishes, and even reptiles, are 
deified ; and in many places, under various 
forms, the great destroyer himself. In no place, 
however, is the polytheism of the heathens so 
gross as in Hindostan, where not fewer than 
three hundred and thirty millions of deities 
receive the adorations of their deluded and 
wretched votaries."* Nor are the devotees of 
heathenism " innocent children of nature," as 
some have thought proper to designate them, 
but "filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, 
wickedness, covetousness, and maliciousness ;" 
and how can they be otherwise, when they 
worship 

" Gods partial, changeful, passionate, unjust, 
Whose attributes are rage, revenge, and lust?" 

Eighteen hundred years ago the apostle, in 
his first chapter to the Romans, gave a descrip- 

* Young's " Gods of tho Heathen." 



• 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD-. 13 

lion of heathen morals as correct as it was 
humiliating; and if the testimony of mission- 
aries and other persons who have resided in 
heathen lands is to be credited, it would appear 
that, in all the things mentioned by the apostle, 
in that description, are the nations still defiled 
who live without God in the world. The Rev. 
W. Arthur, recently returned from India, has 
stated that when he presented an intelligent 
native with a translation of the first chapter of 
St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, he seemed 
amazed after having read it, and exclaimed, 
" Who told him about us ? Paul was never here." 
This simple fact speaks volumes as to the moral 
state of the heathen ; for had the likeness in the 
chapter, drawn by the pencil of inspiration, not 
been very striking, it would not have so imme- 
diately and powerfully impressed that pagan's 
mind. Heathenism is, in the present day, 
associated with civilization and barbarism ; with 
intelligence and illiteracy : it has its magnificent 
temples in the cities of the East, and its rude 
altars in the forests of the West, and in the 
isles of the South ; but, in every connection 
and locality, it is the patron of cruelty and vice. 
Some of its temples are filled with the grossest 
abominations, and a worship of unmixed crime 
is presented therein. Many of its altars are 



14 CONVERSION or THE WO&LB. 

covered with costly sacrifices, and stained with 
human blood ; while, in most of its sacred festi- 
vals the flood-gates of vice are thrown wide 
open, and intemperance and licentiousness, 
bursting forth like a mighty torrent, sweep 
away every attractive virtue, and leave nothing 
but misery and degradation behind. The more 
devoted a heathen is, the greater must be his 
wickedness ; for his religion is crime, and its 
virtues among the most polluting vices that ever 
stained the character of man. Now, as the 
Scripture tells us that "the fearful and unbeliev- 
ing, and the abominable, and murderers, and 
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and 
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which 
burnetii with fire and brimstone," it is most 
obvious that the heathen who are thus clearly 
portrayed by an unerring hand, must perish 
without the converting grace of God. 

Mohammedans. — The founder of this sect 
was a native of Mecca in Arabia, and lived in 
the sixth century. He professed to be a great 
prophet, sent by God to reform the world, and 
to have held several conferences with the angel 
Gabriel, who, according to his statement, com- 
municated to him, from time to time, the various 
things contained in the Koran, which were to 
regulate the faith and practice of his followers. 



CONVERSION OF THE WOULD. 15 

When he first assumed the character of a pro- 
phet, few received his doctrine ; but, being of a 
subtil and enterprising spirit, he persevered, and 
ultimately succeeded by stratagem in multiply- 
ing his converts, who assisted him in the pro- 
mulgation of his faith by means of the sword. 
His religion is at present professed by the 
Turks, Arabs, Persians, and by many in Africa 
and India. It is a mixture of heathenism, Juda- 
ism, and heretical Christianity; and notwith- 
standing its palpable absurdities, it exerts a 
most potent influence over its infatuated recipi- 
ents. It recognizes one God, but denies the 
atonement ; and places the salvation of its ad- 
herents in fastings, pilgrimages, and frequent 
ablutions of the body ; while it allows the 
gratification of the most debasing passions of 
the human heart, and promises to the faithful a 
paradise of sensual pleasure, every way adapted 
to the taste of the most voluptuous. Now, as 
we are told in the word of God, that " out of the 
mouth of the false prophet" there came "unclean 
spirits," even " the spirits of devils," and that 
they who were influenced by them were " cast 
into the lake which burnetii with fire and brim- 
stone," we cannot but think the allusion is to the 
false prophet of Mecca, whose unclean follow- 
ers, without a spiritual regeneration, must 



16 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

undoubtedly feel the bitter pains of the second 
death. 

Jews. — The ancestors of this interesting 
people were taught to expect a great Deliverer; 
but, when he made his appearance, he not 
agreeing with their preconceived notions on the 
subject, his own received him not, b.ut wickedly 
rejected him. The same principle of hostility is 
cherished by their offspring ; for " the fathers 
have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth 
are set on edge ;" and although this has been 
the cause of their dispersion, and made them as 
a proverb and by- word among all people, they 
still continue to look for a Messiah to accord 
with their educational prejudices. They are a 
scattered and cruelly persecuted race, retaining 
among all nations their distinctive character, 
and emphatically " minding earthly things." 
Now, if it be true that there is no name given 
under heaven among men, whereby man can be 
saved, but the name Christ Jesus, what is to 
become of those children of Abraham, who trust 
in the fables of their Talmuds, rather than in the 
Scriptures, and who hope for salvation through 
a disannuled covenant, rather than through 
Christ the Lord 1 Without conversion it is 
evident they cannot be saved ; for, " whosoever 
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father f 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 17 

and " if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, 
let him be anathema maranatha." 

Christians. — If we look through the length 
and breadth of Christendom, we shall at once 
discover, without any uncharitable judging, that 
all are not Israel that are called Israel ; but that 
many of them are far from God, and some par- 
ticipating in every species of demoralization of 
which human nature is capable. 

But is not the conversion of the world a mere 
chimerical object, and every effort employed for 
its accomplishment dictated by ignorance and 
fanaticism ? Certainly not. It is true that it 
presents difficulties to overcome, but they are 
not insurmountable ; strongholds to storm, but 
they are not impregnable ; giants to combat, but 
they cannot stand before the Lord of hosts ; 
and walls of fortification reaching to the very 
heavens, but they shall tremble at the sound of 
the trumpet, and fall before the ark of the Lord. 

The atonement of Christ leads us to expect 
the conversion of the world. It has made ample 
provision for it. The Scriptures, on this point, 
are full and unequivocal. Isaiah informs us 
that " all we, like sheep, have gone astray, we 
have turned every one to his own way; but the 
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." 
Not the iniquity of a few merely, but the iniquity 
2 



18 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

of all those luho, like sheep, have gone astray, and 
turned to their own way; consequently the 
iniquity of all the human family, this being their 
manifest character as fallen creatures. The 
apostle Paul is equally explicit: he tells us 
that God " spared not his own Son, but deliver- 
ed him up for us all ;" that " Christ died for all, 
that they which live should not henceforth live 
unto themselves, but unto him who died for them 
and rose again ;" and that " He, by the grace 
of God, tasted death for every man." The be- 
loved John supports the same delightful truth ; 
telling us that, "if any man sin, we have an 
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the 
righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins, 
and not for ours only, but for the sins of the 
whole world." He thus addressed himself to 
Christians generally, and thereby intimated that 
if, at any time, they should be overcome by 
the tempter, they were not to yield to despond- 
ency, but to remember their Advocate with the 
Father, w T ho was a propitiation for sins thus 
committed ; and not for such sins merely, but for 
all sins ; not for the sins of the church only, but 
for the sins of the whole world. These passages 
of Scripture, and others of similar import, clearly 
and fully assert the universal character of the 
atonement ; and this doctrine is corroborated by 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 19 

that of a general resurrection. That there will 
be a resurrection of the just and of the unjust, 
is a matter of revelation, and is distinctly stated 
to be the result of the Saviour's mediation ; for, 
" as in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall 
all be made alive." If redemption thus extend 
to the bodies of all, the legitimate conclusion 
forced upon us is, that it has made provision for 
the souls of all; as it appears, in our humble 
opinion, inconsistent with either the justice or 
mercy of God, that he should redeem the bodies 
of any of our race without redeeming their souls 
also, as that would render their anguish more 
intolerable in that place of misery which it was 
impossible for them to escape. Now the argu- 
ment is this : As the atonement is universal, a 
foundation is laid for such a work of grace as 
shall put down every form of superstition and 
error, and bring under its saving influence all 
the tribes of men. 

The character of Christianity leads us to ex- 
pect the conversion of the world. If we examine 
its construction and frame, its spirit and tend- 
ency, and its independence both with respect 
to civil policy and ecclesiastical regimen, we 
shall at once perceive its adaptation for universal 
diffusion, and its competency to bring all nations 
under its salutary influence. Christianity not 



20 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

only commands its recipients to diffuse it 
throughout the world, and excites them to do 
so, but it is suited to all grades of intellect, and 
to every station and rank of society; and will 
not have fully carried out its aggressive princi- 
ples, nor completely developed its spirit of be- 
nevolent enterprise, until it has explored every 
continent of the earth, blessed every island of 
the sea, deposed every idol from its throne, 
regenerated every pagan heart, gathered unto 
Shiloh every Jewish wanderer, wrested every 
trophy from the "Arab thief," and entirely 
reclaimed our apostate and rebellious race. Its 
benevolence is as deep as depravity, and as wide 
as the world. For the salvation of souls it exerts 
its energies, and lifts up its importunate voice, 
crying, " Give ! give !" nor will it ever say it has 
enough, until it has embraced the whole human 
family, and regenerated the heart of every man. 
The intimations of divine Providence lead us 
to expect the world's conversion. Every man 
who has acquainted himself with the world's 
history during the last forty years, must know 
that in that period it has undergone a con- 
siderable change very favorable to the conver- 
sion of the whole race of man. The laudable 
efforts of the British, Foreign, and the American 
Bible Societies, have succeeded in arousing the 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 21 

nations, and exciting among them a spirit of 
inquiry relative to religious truth. The Eastern 
churches are awaking from their slumbers, and 
crying to those of the West, " Give us of your 
oil, for our lamps are gone out." The most 
intelligent among the heathen tribes are mani- 
festly perplexed and disgusted with the prin- 
ciples and rites of paganism. Copies of the 
Holy Scriptures are nearly everywhere anxiously 
desired, and eagerly perused ; and heart-thrilling 
voices from almost every part of the unchris- 
tianized world, imploring spiritual help, are 
reiterated in the ears of the directors of mis- 
sionary societies. Thus are the fields white 
unto the harvest ; and although much toil and 
opposition may await the reapers, yet these 
things are signs of the times not to be mistaken, 
and which indicate God's gracious designs 
relative to the revival and extension of pure 
religion throughout all the earth. Nor should 
we forget the standing of the British and 
American nations in the world. Without in- 
tending any reflection upon other nations, we 
feel all the confidence which truth inspires, in 
saying that they exert a paramount influence 
among the nations of the earth. Their banners 
are waving in the breezes of every zone ; and 
the sun is ever gilding some portion of their 



22 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

territory. Their canvass is swelling on every 
sea ; and their manufactures are sold in every 
market. Their name is a shield of protection 
in almost every land ; and their influence affords 
access to nearly all the tribes of men. Blind, 
indeed, must be that man who does not behold 
in these things the operations of a gracious 
Providence, which intends these countries to 
take a leading part in building the walls of 
Zion. With them is pre-eminently deposited 
the gospel of Christ, and these things mark 
them out as the chosen instruments to take the 
most active part in its diffusion. Like the 
angel in the Apocalypse, which John beheld 
flying in the midst of heaven, they have the 
everlasting gospel to preach to every nation, 
and people, and kindred, and tongue. 

The success which has already attended legiti- 
mate and well-directed efforts, encourages us to 
expect the conversion of the icorld. The gospel 
is the divinely appointed instrument of salvation ; 
and wherever it has been faithfully made known, 
it has never failed to meet the case of its 
sincere recipients, whatever may have been the 
culture of their minds, the strength of their pre- 
judices, the enormity of their sins, the depth 
of their degradation, or the peculiarities of their 
customs and creeds. It has met and overcome 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 23 

every form of opposition, and gained its tro- 
phies in all grades of society, and among all 
classes of men. x4theists, Deists, Socinians, 
Jews, Pagans, Mohammedans, princes, peasants, 
bondmen, freemen, philosophers, barbarians, 
and in fact individuals of all nations, conditions, 
and crimes, have felt it to be the power of God 
unto salvation. We are thus furnished with 
specimens of what the gospel can do ; and if 
but one in each of the classes of persons men- 
tioned has been converted, in every such con- 
vert we have received an assurance that the 
conversion of the whole is practicable. Nay 
more, we have received in these converts the 
first-fruits of the world's harvest ; and as a sheaf 
of many golden ears, the church may wave them 
before the Lord, and regard them as an earnest 
that the whole harvest will in due time be 
gathered in. It is true that the gospel may not 
have triumphed extensively in many of the dark 
nations of the earth ; yet in every one has it 
obtained at least a burial-place for its faithful 
dead, which, like the cave of Machpelah, we 
receive as a pledge that its glorious Author is 
to inherit all kingdoms, and that " men are to 
be blessed in him, and all nations call him 
blessed." 

The plain declarations of Scripture lead us to 



24 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

expect the conversion of the world. For in- 
stance : Is the kingdom of Christ compared to 
" a stone cut out of the mountain without hands ?" 
That stone is to break in pieces every opposing 
power, and " fill the whole earth." Is it said 
to resemble leaven ? That leaven is to diffuse 
itself until every part shall be brought under its 
influence. Is Christ said to be the seed of 
Abraham 1 In that seed " all the families of 
the earth are to be blessed." Is he the King 
of Zion? He is to " speak peace to the heathen ; 
and his dominion is to be from sea to sea, and 
from the river unto the ends of the earth." Is 
he the King of kings and Lord of lords? " All 
kings are to fall before him, and all nations are 
to worship him." Is he the Son of God ? The 
Father has promised to give him " the heathen 
for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of 
the earth for his possession." Has he received 
a name which is above every name ? " Unto 
the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of 
things in heaven, of things in earth; and of 
things under the earth, and every tongue con- 
fess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the 
Father." Is it life eternal to know the only 
true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent ? 
" The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the 
earth, as the waters cover the sea ;" and " all 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 25 

shall know Him from the least unto the great- 
est." Such are the statements of Scripture on 
the interesting subject of the world's conver- 
sion, and which in due time will receive their 
accomplishment. 



CHAPTER II. 

Having in the preceding chapter established, 
as we believe, the necessity and practicability 
of the Scriptural conversion of the world, we 
shall now show by what agency that important 
work is to be effected. 

It appears to be a principle in the divine ad- 
ministration, for God to accomplish wha^ man 
cannot accomplish, but not to perform what man 
can perform. See this principle exemplified in 
nature. God does not cultivate the soil, or 
deposit the seed therein, because man can do 
that ; but he gives the fruit of the earth in all 
its variety and richness, and thus effects what 
man cannot effect. See this exemplified in the 
miracles of our Lord. Take his raising Lazarus 
for an example. When J*e had come to the 
tomb of his servant, he directed his attendants 
to roll away the stone ; and when he had re- 



26 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

stored his friend to life, he further instructed 
them to loose him, and let him go. Now he 
that raised Lazarus from the dead could have 
easily rolled away the stone, and loosed his 
servant from his bands ; but these were things 
which man could do ; and our Lord, on that 
deeply interesting occasion, absolutely per- 
formed nothing but what man could not perform. 
Now this appears to be the principle upon 
which he acts in the conversion of men. It is 
true that we cannot of ourselves do any good 
thing, much less convert sinners from the error 
of their ways ; yet we can, in humble depend- 
ence upon spiritual aid, employ the means 
which God has appointed for that important 
end : and we have no more authority to ex- 
pect that the Lord will convert sinners while 
those means are neglected, than the husband- 
man has authority to expect a plentiful harvest, 
while he neglects to cultivate his land and sow 
his seed. 

The truth of God presented to the mind is 
the great instrument of conversion ; and it does 
not appear that a sinner can be converted and 
saved independently of the influence of that 
truth. For instance : Are men born again ? It 
is " not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible ; 
even the word of the Lord which liveth and 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 27 

abideth for ever." Are they sanctified? It is 
" through the truth." Are they made clean ? 
It is " through the words which Christ speaks 
unto them." " The word of the Lord is per- 
fect, converting the soul." Hence the absolute 
necessity of teaching, and consequently of 
human agency, in the conversion of the world. 
If ever there had been a period when that 
agency was unnecessary, it must have been on 
the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost 
descended upon the disciples. But even then 
it was not dispensed with in the conversion of 
the three thousand souls, who on that memorable 
occasion were added to the Lord. They had 
mockingly witnessed the effects of the Spirit's 
manifestation, and were not pricked in their 
hearts until they heard the gospel truth from 
the lips of Peter. Then, and not till then, did 
they discover their sin and danger, and exclaim, 
" Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" Nor 
can we find a conversion to God after that period 
on record in the New Testament, in which 
human agency of some description was not 
employed. Was the Ethiopian eunuch con- 
verted ? The Spirit directed Philip " to preach 
unto him Jesus," that he might " understand 
what he was reading ;" and the eunuch " be- 
lieved with all his heart," was baptized, and 



28 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

" went on his way rejoicing." Was Saul of 
Tarsus converted ? Ananias was commanded to 
go into the street which was called " Straight," 
and in the house of one Judas, to put his hands 
upon him that he might receive his sight, and 
be filled with the Holy Ghost. Were Cornelius 
and his household converted ? Peter was in- 
structed in a vision to go down to Cesarea to 
tell them words whereby they might be saved; 
and while he yet spake the Holy Ghost fell on 
all them which heard the word. Now in each 
of these cases of conversion the divine Being 
had nearly effected the work himself inde- 
pendently of human agency ; but he did not 
complete it without employing that agency ; as 
if he intended thereby to teach his church 
through all generations that it is his rule to 
bless man by man, and frequently to choose the 
weak things of the world to confound the things 
wkich are mighty. 

In speaking of human agents in the conver- 
sion of the world, we refer not only to the 
ambassadors of Christ, but to all Christians, 
whatever be their attainments in knowledge, 
rank in society, or station in the church. 
It is true that private Christians are not to 
invade the rights of the pastoral office : 
but they ought, according to their respective 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 29 

abilities and stations of life, to teach trans- 
gressors the ways of the Lord, that sinners 
may be converted unto him ; and thus, as 
" helpers to the truth," co-operate with their 
respective pastors in the establishment and ex- 
tension of the Saviour's kingdom. Such are 
the views entertained by the highly esteemed 
and devoted bishop of Chester, who, in a recent 
charge to the clergy of his diocese, says : " My 
brethren, if we shut out from spiritual useful- 
ness all who are not ordained to spiritual things, 
— if we do not rather excite and urge them to 
such duties, we contradict the plain commands 
of our religion. The Scriptures enjoin all Chris- 
tians to ' exhort one another dayly while it is 
called to-day ;' to * edify one another ;' to ' speak 
to one another in psalms, and hymns, and spi- 
ritual songs ;' to ' warn the unruly ;' to ' comfort 
the feeble-minded ;' to ' assemble themselves 
together that they may provoke unto good 
works ;' to ' visit the fatherless and the widows 
in their affliction.' So speaks the word of God~ 
And is man wiser than God ? Is man to see 
danger where God prescribes duty ? to forbid 
when God commands ? Thus Satan would have 
it ; for thus is his kingdom maintained ; thus is 
darkness perpetuated ; and religion, instead of 
being an active principle, becomes a supersti- 



30 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

tious notion. But we protest against such error 
as the worst remaining relic of Papal usurpation, 
bred and nourished, not in the times of pure 
Christianity, but in the dark ages of its corrup- 
tion, when they chose to keep the key of know- 
ledge themselves, who are afraid to trust the 
people with it ; and allowed the priest's lips 
alone to speak, that he alone might enjoy the 
power which belongs to knowledge. Never, 
never, brethren, shall we be a Christian commu. 
nity till this error is dispelled ; till it is with us 
as it was with those who were first called Chris- 
tians. When every one who has the knowledge 
of God in his own heart believes it his duty to 
bring to the same knowledge the individual 
with whom he is connected, — his child, his 
servant, his dependent, his laborer, his neighbor, 
—then, and not before, may " the kingdoms of 
this world become the kingdom of our Lord, and 
of his Christ." Few persons, comparatively, 
are called to the office of the ministry, upon 
which no man should enter without a divine 
call ; but all Christians are called upon to labor 
to save souls from death, and to seek by all le- 
gitimate means the conversion of the world. 

True religion gives a man a moral fitness for 
teaching it to others. He may have but one 
talent, and be totally destitute of literary attain- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 31 

merits ; he may have neither wealth nor influ- 
ence to recommend him ; and yet if he have the 
love of God shed abroad in his heart by the 
Holy Ghost given unto him, he is morally fitted 
for the work of teaching others. It is true, he 
may not be able to declare the whole counsel 
of God, as that requires much knowledge and 
research ; but a sinner's conversion does not 
depend upon his knowing more than a few of 
the first principles of divine truth. He must 
know that he is a guilty and depraved creature ; 
that the Son of God died to save him ; and that 
if he yield to the Spirit's influence, repent of 
his sins, and believe in Jesus, God will save 
his soul ; but if not, he will be eternally lost. 
Nothing more need be taught him to effect his 
conversion : for these are the great truths which 
the Holy Ghost employs in awakening the con- 
science, and in bringing men from darkness to 
light, and from the power of Satan to God. 
Now surely every converted man can teach 
these truths to his neighbor. He has felt their 
influence upon his own mind, and is therefore 
qualified to teach them to others, with greater 
efficiency than a mere theorist is capable of 
doing, whatever may be the culture of his mind, 
or the grasp of his intellectual faculties. He 
can teach the nature of true repentance, because 



32 CONVERSION OF THE WORLIX 

he has experienced it ; the character of justify- 
ing faith, because he exercises it ; and the ad- 
vantage of religion, because he happily enjoys 
it. Besides, he " loves his brother," and is thus 
prepared not only to treat him with Christian 
courtesy and kindness, but to seek his salvation 
with anxious solicitude and unwearied perse- 
verance. 

But religion not only qualifies Christians for 
this important work, by giving them knowledge, 
love, and meekness, but inspires them with a 
sincere desire to be so employed. For the 
truth of this we might refer to Andrew, who, on 
finding the Messiah, hastened home to bring 
his brother Simon. We might refer to Saul of 
Tarsus, who, on obtaining salvation, immedi- 
ately went forth to recommend it to his coun- 
trymen. We might refer to the martyrs and 
confessors, whose hearts so ardently desired 
the conversion of their persecutors, that they 
were manifestly more concerned for that than 
for their own safety. We might refer to the 
truly pious in every age of the world, who have 
wept, and prayed, and labored, in various ways, 
to effect the conversion of sinners. But, reader, 
if you have ever been truly converted to God, 
we need not go further than yourself for a wit- 
ness of this truth. When you first felt the Sa- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 33 

viour's love shed abroad in your heart, how did 
you feel respecting the unsaved ? Did you not 
earnestly desire their conversion 1 You did ; 
and if you obeyed the impulse of your new na- 
ture, you strove to effect that conversion. We 
appeal to your conscience for the truth of this 
statement. Nor was this feeling intended to 
resemble the mountain torrent, which soon ex- 
hausts itself, but the steady flowing stream, 
deepening and widening in its course. If you 
have lost this feeling, you cannot have retained 
your religion, it being inseparably connected 
therewith ; for he that loveth God must love his 
brother also, and cannot but earnestly desire 
his conversion, and labor to promote it. If such 
be the tendency of religion, — if it excites an 
ardent desire for the conversion of sinners, and 
invests its recipients with moral capabilities to 
labor for the accomplishment of that object, 
what is the fair and legitimate conclusion forced 
upon us, but that they ought to be so employed ? 
If they are not, they prove unfaithful to their 
principles, hide their talents in the earth, resist 
the Spirit's influence, and thereby greatly en- 
danger their own safety. We believe that un- 
faithfulness in this matter is the most fruitful 
source of backsliding in the church of God. 
Influenced by the fear of reproach, or by the 
3 



34 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

example of some old lukewarm professors, many 
new converts oppose the bias and tendency of 
their renewed spirits, and a low state of spiritu- 
ality, or total apostasy, follows as a very natu- 
ral result. We conceive that watchfulness and 
prayer are not more intimately connected with 
the spiritual prosperity of believers than is the 
faithful employment of their talents in the con- 
version of the world. 

The commands of Scripture on this import- 
ant Christian duty are sufficiently clear and im- 
perative. They require God's people not only 
to pray for all men, but to make known in some 
way, and to the extent of which they are ca- 
pable, the vital doctrines of the gospel to those 
persons whose conversion they desire, and thus 
to furnish that divinely appointed instrument by 
which the Holy Ghost awakens, converts, and 
saves. For this purpose they are directed to 
teach the words of the law " diligently to their 
children, and to talk of them when they sit in 
the house, and when they walk by the way ; 
when they lie down, and when they rise up." 
They are " in anywise to rebuke their neigh- 
bor, and not suffer sin upon their brother." 
They are to " have no fellowship with the un- 
fruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 35 

them." They are "to do and teach the com- 
mands of God, that they may be called great in 
the kingdom of heaven ;" and to " teach every 
man his neighbor, and every man his brother, 
saying, Know ye the Lord ;" and, in fact, to be 
" teachers of all good things." This was the 
practice of the primitive church. We are told 
in the Acts of the Apostles that " there was a 
great persecution against the church which was 
at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad 
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, 
except the apostles. As for Saul, he made 
havoc of the church, entering into every house, 
and, haling men and women, committed them 
to prison. Therefore they that were scattered 
abroad went everywhere preaching the word." 
" This is the relation of a most wonderful event. 
It merits more attention than it has yet obtained 
from any of the commentators. The fact is 
soon stated : on examination, however, it will 
appear to have been an occurrence to which 
there is nothing at all equal or parallel since 
the foundation of the world. The whole church 
were scattered abroad, ' except the apostles.' 
Of how many did this church consist? Some 
conception may be formed of their number from 
a glance at their history. For wise and benefi- 



36 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

cent ends, it has pleased the Spirit of all grace 
to construct this part of the narrative somewhat 
remarkably. We have a reiterated statement 
of numbers, and other expressions, respecting 
augmentation, from which a tolerably correct 
idea may be formed of the multitudes who were 
thus scattered abroad, for the general and simul- 
taneous illumination of Judea, and Samaria, and 
the regions round about." The first intimation 
presents us with a list of disciples comprising 
" one hundred and twenty ;" the second an- 
nounces an addition of " about three thousand " 
in one day ; the third, that " the Lord added to 
the church dayly such as should be saved ;" the 
fourth, that " the number of men was about five 
thousand ;" the fifth, that " the number of the 
disciples was multiplied ;" and the sixth, that 
" the word of God increased, and the number 
of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; 
and a great company of the priests were obe- 
dient to the faith." "Now, considering the 
peculiarly chastened character of this history, 
and the utter absence of all exaggeration in the 
language of its statements, it really seems to us 
a moderate estimate, when we take the male 
disciples at from ten to fifteen thousand, and the 
female and youth at a much larger number. 
This great multitude went everywhere preach- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 37 

ing the word."* No wonder that Christianity 
so rapidly spread during the apostolic age. 
The inspired historian informs us of the suc- 
cess which attended the labors of some of those 
scattered disciples. They "traveled as far as 
Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching 
the word to none but unto the Jews only. And 
some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, 
which, when they were come to Antioch, spake 
unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 
And the hand of the Lord was with them : and 
a great multitude believed and turned unto the 
Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto 
the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: 
and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should 
go as far as Antioch ; who, when he came and 
had seen the grace of God, was glad, and ex- 
horted them all that with purpose of heart they 
would cleave unto the Lord." These "men of 
Cyprus and Cyrene" were not apostles, nor 
outwardly called to preach, but they were per- 
secuted laymen ; and Barnabas, when he came 
to Antioch, did not censure their conduct for 
speaking in the name of Jesus, neither did he 
describe it as being an irregularity ; but he re- 
joiced on witnessing their success, and labored 
to give stability and permanency to the good 
* Jethro, p. 347, 



38 COiN VERSION OF THE WORLD, 

work they had been the means of promoting.* 
" Having ascertained the true state of the case, 
in the days of the apostles, it is of comparatively 
small importance what views were entertained 
in aftertimes. It may, however, serve to con- 
firm the views which we entertain of apostolic 
practices, if we find the same order of things 
prevailing in the ages that succeeded them ; 
and that such is the fact, may be clearly shown 
from the writings of the first three centuries. 
The order of things which prevailed in the days 
of the apostles was still plainly discoverable at 
the close of the second century; and in the 
fourth century, Hilary, a deacon among the 
Romans, a man of learning and discernment, in 
an Exposition of the Epistle to the Ephesians, 
declares that, " after churches were established 
in all places, and officers appointed, things were 
conducted in a different manner from that in 
which they commenced ; for at first all taught ."f 
But however important, and indeed essential, 
human agency may be in the conversion of the 
world, it will be totally inefficient independently 
of divine agency ; for, " without me," says 

* It is very evident that the Oxford Tract divines are not, 
as respects their spirit and practice, in the Barnabasian suc- 
cession. 

t Jethro, p. 348. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 39 

Christ, " ye can do nothing." Are dark minds to 
be illuminated to discover and rightly apprehend 
divine truth ? Illumination is from the Lord : for 
" what man knoweth the things of man save the 
spirit of man which is in him? Neither knoweth 
any man the things of God, but the Spirit of God." 
Are the wicked to be convinced of sin, and be 
made the partakers of true repentance ? Repent- 
ance, too, is from the Lord : for Christ is " exalt* 
ed to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repent- 
ance unto Israel ;" and " God granteth repentance 
unto the Gentiles." Are sincere penitents to be 
led to the foot of the cross, where, in the exer- 
cise of simple faith, they are to obtain the for- 
giveness of sin ? Forgiveness also is from the 
Lord : " for it is God who justifies," and who 
"abundantly pardons." Are believers to be 
greatly strengthened, and made' the partakers 
of entire sanctification? Entire sanctification 
likewise is from the Lord : for, " I will sprinkle 
clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean ; 
and from all your filthiness, and from all your 
idols, will I cleanse you, saith the Lord." Are 
numerous and formidable difficulties to be over- 
come ? They are not to be overcome " by might 
nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord 
of hosts." And if we examine the means to be 
employed in the world's conversion, we shall 



40 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

discover that it is God in those means that must 
render them efficient. Is the gospel to be 
preached to every creature 1 " Neither is he 
that planteth anything, nor he that watereth, 
but God that giveth the increase." Is earnest 
prayer, without ceasing, to be offered at the 
throne of grace for the salvation of our species ? 
" It is the Spirit that helpeth our infirmities ; 
for we know not what we should pray for as we 
ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession 
for us with groanings that cannot be uttered." 
Is divine truth to be presented to the mind un- 
der various forms and in different ways ? "It is 
the Spirit" in that truth " which quickeneth and 
giveth life." 

This vital principle in the conversion of the 
world was fully developed on the day of Pente- 
cost, and in every subsequent revival of religion, 
if we may so speak, with which the apostolic 
age was blessed. In those revivals pagan 
temples were deserted, heathen oracles were 
silenced, ancient prejudices were uprooted, 
vicious habits were forsaken, the religion of 
every state was enfeebled, and unnumbered 
multitudes embraced the faith of the crucified 
Redeemer. And by what agency was this ex- 
tensive revolution effected? The apostles chiefly 
were the visible agents employed in promoting 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 41 

it. And what potency did they possess to effect 
so great a change 1 It was not their wealth : 
for "silver and gold had they none." It was 
not their rank and influence in society : for they 
were not only of the peasantry of Judea, but 
despised Galileans. It was not their eloquence 
or learning : for they were without excellency 
of speech, and, with the exception of Paul, they 
were illiterate men. It was not their popular doc- 
trine : for the doctrine which they taught was the 
most unpalatable to the carnal mind that could 
have been inculcated, and much calculated to 
rouse opposition ; sweeping away, as it did, the 
very foundations upon which many were reposing 
their hopes of future happiness, and boldly as- 
sailing the pleasures, the practices, the princi- 
ples, the institutions, the creeds, and the reli- 
gion of the people to whom they ministered ; 
and, in fact, seeking, without offering any 
worldly recompense, to new model the whole 
of society. How, then, is their success to be 
accounted for? The inspired writers tell us 
that an invisible agency w T as at work — that 
" the hand of the Lord was with them," — that 
they " were workers together with God," — and 
that " they went forth preaching everywhere, 
the Lord working with them, and confirming 
the word with signs following." If it be denied 



42 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

that God was with the apostles, we cannot on 
any known principle whatever account for their 
success. 

Divine agency in the promotion of conversions 
is as necessary now as it was in the days of the 
apostles. The blindness of the, human under- 
standing is the same; the perverseness of the 
will is the same ; the alienation of the mind is 
the same ; the enmity of the heart is the same ; 
the pollution of the imagination is the same ; 
the opposition of the devil is the same ; nor has 
any change taken place in the nature of religion, 
or in the terms upon which it is to be received 
and enjoyed. It is true that Christians may 
now have their splendid sanctuaries, their litur- 
gical services, their pealing organs, their elo- 
quent ministers, their endowed colleges, their 
theological institutions, their Bible associations, 
their missionary societies, and a beautifully or- 
ganized instrumentality operating under a variety 
of forms and modifications for the diffusion of 
religious knowledge and the extension of the 
Saviour's kingdom ; yet they can no more do 
without God, than could the fishermen of Gali- 
lee when they went forth without either "scrip 
or purse" to overthrow every form of supersti- 
tion and error, and revolutionize the whole world. 
This sentiment must be deeply impressed upon 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 43 

the minds of all who attempt to promote the 
conversion of sinners, and direct them in all 
their movements ; or they will labor in vain, 
and spend their strength for naught. It is true 
they may excite, but it will be but the excite- 
ment of animal feeling ; they may draw tears 
from those to whom they speak, but they will 
be but the tears of human sympathy ; and they 
may even occasion a noise, but it will not be 
the sobbings of broken and contrite hearts at 
the foot of the cross, or the bursting joy of vic- 
torious faith as it takes hold of the covenant 
of God, and triumphantly trample^ upon the 
world, the flesh, and the devil. Never should 
it, therefore, he forgotten that all the good 
which is done upon the earth, it is the Lord 
that doeth it ; and that means for the conversion 
of the world, however diligently used, and well 
adapted for the accomplishment of that import- 
ant end, will be totally insufficient without the 
divine blessing. 



44 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 



CHAPTER III. 

If it be God's plan to convert the world by 
human agency, we need no new revelation 
from heaven to inform us why it is not convert- 
ed ; for there are hinderances on the part of his 
church, to whom he has assigned this work, 
which sufficiently account for that ; and until 
these are removed, the world will still, we fear, 
lie in the wicked one. The Lord has enjoined 
it upon his church to disciple all mankind ; but 
that duty it will never perform till its members 
have more religion. Its piety in the present 
day is very defective. If we pass by all Papists, 
and those who attend a place of worship with- 
out any desire to glorify God, and confine our 
attention to such only as give or receive the 
pledge of membership, and participate in all the 
ordinances of the Christian sanctuary, we shall 
find among them, limited as may be their num- 
ber, principles and tempers, in various degrees 
of development, clearly indicating the defective 
character of their piety, and which cannot but 
greatly retard the conversion of the world. 

When Isaiah foretold the glory of the latter 
day, he called upon the church to remove cer- 
tain obstacles which were opposed to the reve- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 45 

lation of that glory. His language is, " Prepare 
ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the 
desert a highway for our God. Every valley 
shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill 
shall be brought low ; and the crooked shall 
be made straight, and the rough places plain : 
and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, 
and all flesh shall see it together ; for the mouth 
of the Lord hath spoken it." In this prediction 
Isaiah not only foretold the advent of Christ, but 
that delightful period when his holy religion 
shall fill the whole earth ; and intimated that 
there were valleys to be exalted, mountains and 
hills to be brought low, crooked, places to be 
made straight, and rough places to be made 
smooth ; or, in other words, certain obstacles 
to the work of the Lord to be removed, before 
that glorious period could be realized. And 
if we look into the church we shall perceive 
many such obstacles ; for whatever is found 
therein opposed to the spread of true religion, 
is an obstacle to the conversion of the world. 

A defective exhibition of divine truth is one 
of those obstacles. The word of God is the 
great instrument employed by the Holy Ghost 
in the salvation of souls ; for " faith cometh by 
hearing, and hearing by the word of God :" and 
although a very limited portion of divine truth, 



46 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

when accompanied by the Spirit's influence, 
may lead to conviction and salvation, yet, as 
" all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 
correction, and for instruction in righteousness," 
we conceive that a faithful exhibition of its 
various doctrines, duties, promises, and threaten- 
ings, is essential to an extensive and permanent 
work of grace. Nor are the truths of God's 
word to be exhibited merely, but presented to 
the mind with judgment and fidelity, and made 
more or less prominent according to their rela- 
tive importance. Consequently that ministry 
is defective which gives not prominence to the 
atonement, as the foundation of the sinner's 
hope, and source of every spiritual blessing : 
that ministry is defective which deals in mere 
general statements, and does not discriminate 
character, or detect and assail vice, under all 
its forms and modifications : that ministry is 
defective which is abstruse and metaphysical ; 
for although it may be what is called intellectual 
preaching, it seldom affects the heart, and few, 
comparatively, can understand it : that ministry 
is defective which is not applicatory, and deals 
not closely with the conscience ; for although 
it may be both orthodox and eloquent, yet being 
without point, it is not that new sharp threshing 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 47 

instrument, having teeth, by which the moun- 
tains are to be beaten small, and the hills made 
as chaff: that ministry is defective which offers 
not a present salvation, and urges not upon the 
hearers an immediate acceptance of it ; for per- 
sons sitting under such a ministry are likely to 
trifle with their souls, and postpone the great 
business of life until a more convenient season : 
that ministry is defective which is exercised as 
an end, instead of a measure to accomplish an 
end, or which is not solely exercised with the 
view of saving souls and bringing glory to God : 
and that ministry is defective which honors not 
the Holy Ghost as the agent in man's salva- 
tion, and confides not in him for assistance and 
success. Now wherever there are such defects 
in the ministrations of the sanctuary, formidable 
barriers to the conversion of the world undoubt- 
edly exist, and should be removed, that the way 
of the Lord may be prepared for the revelation 
of his glory. 

The inconsistency of ministers is also an ob- 
stacle to the conversion of the world. Persons 
sustaining the high and important office of the 
Christian ministry should be men of blameless 
character, and of deep piety ; for independently 
of this, they cannot possess that zeal for the 
Redeemer, that love for souls, that power with 



48 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

God, that unction of the Holy One, so essential 
to the success of their undertaking. It is not 
enough that the truths of the gospel be presented 
to the mind with clearness and fidelity ; but this 
should also be done with an earnestness of spirit 
and manner becoming their importance ; and 
enforced by a consistent walk and conversation 
— as this will prove more effective than the lofti- 
est strains of unhallowed oratory, or the sound- 
est deductions of the profoundest erudition. A 
minister may be richly decorated with all the 
ornaments of human and divine literature, but 
will still be a despicable creature, of no authority 
or service in the church of God, but a hinderance 
to the gospel, if he be not also clothed with 
righteousness, and adorned with the lovely 
graces of the Spirit. If men, therefore, enter 
into the solemn office of the sanctuary with no 
conviction of duty, or love to souls, but for the 
purpose of displaying their talents, or to procure 
a morsel of bread ; or if it should be apparent, 
by the character of their preaching, or their 
spirit and conduct out of the pulpit, that they 
aim at some other object than the glory of God 
in the salvation of men, they cannot but greatly 
impede the progress of the gospel, as their 
inconsistency will prevent them from being 
" accounted of as the ministers of Christ, and 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 49 

stewards of the mysteries of God." The fact 
is, if the ambassadors of the gospel would pre- 
pare the way of the Lord, they must be humble, 
self-denying, watchful, zealous, prudent, hea- 
venly-minded, and deeply-devoted Christians, 
always about their proper work, and in all their 
intercourse with society seeking the salvation 
of souls. The character and importance of the 
work to which they are solemnly pledged, and 
the influence connected with the ministerial 
office, require their maintenance of this con- 
duct. But if, instead of doing so, they should 
be intemperate politicians or violent partisans ; 
if they should excite the spirit of levity by 
pitiful witticisms or ludicrous anecdotes, and 
encourage vain, foolish, and trifling conversa- 
tion ; if they should depreciate the talents, ser- 
vices, and characters of other ministers, or hold 
them up to ridicule, and thereby prevent their 
usefulness ; if they should sacrifice to their 
own net, and burn incense to their own drag, 
by coveting human applause, and seeking in 
their intercourse with their people to be com- 
plimented, rather than to promote the glory of 
God ; or if they should so far forget themselves 
as to evince a haughty, irritable, peevish, fretful, 
or vindictive spirit, instead of the gentleness of 
Christ they cannot but greatly oppose and injure 
4 



50 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

the work of the Lord. When the priests under 
the former dispensation made themselves " con- 
temptible and base before the people," we are 
told that they " caused many to stumble at. the 
law ;" and there can be no doubt but incon- 
sistency in ministers of the gospel will render 
them contemptible also, and lead to a similar 
result. No very extensive triumph of divine 
truth can be reasonably expected unless minis- 
ters take an elevated stand in society, and by a 
meek but flexible piety oppose every form of 
vice that may present itself before them. 
" May the Lord purify the sons of Levi, and 
purge them as gold and silver, that they may 
offer unto the Lord an offering in righteous- 
ness." 

Hypocrisy in the church is likewise an obsta- 
cle to the world's conversion. God requires 
truth in the inward parts. His word enjoins 
sincerity in all things, and denounces in the 
strongest terms every species, of deception and 
guile. There was much hypocrisy in the Jew- 
ish church, and it is greatly to be feared that 
many are under its influence in the Christian 
church. Such persons appear in false forms, 
and mimic characters and virtues not belonging 
to them : their religion is mere acting, and their 
service therein nothing better than masquerading. 



CONVERSION OF THE^WORLD. 51 

They may frequently, and even ardently, engage 
in public prayer ; but they draw nigh unto God 
with their lips only. They may, in appropriate 
language, and with becoming demeanor, confess 
their sins before the mercy-seat ; but they feel 
no contrition of heart. They may intercede 
for a perishing world, and profess much love for 
souls ; but they will make no sacrifice to promote 
their salvation. They may enumerate the bless- 
ings of which they are partakers, and thank the 
Lord for his loving-kindness ; but their bosoms 
heave not with grateful emotion to the benevo- 
lent Author of all their benefits. They may 
profess faith in Christ, and to be accepted in the 
Beloved; but they live under the influence of 
known vice, and make no struggle against it. 
They may say they love their brother, and would 
do anything to serve him ; but they injure his 
character by retailing misrepresentation and 
slander. They may declare the deep interest 
they feel in religious charities, and even contri- 
bute to their support ; but it is to obtain human 
applause, as they would not do the same thing 
were they fully persuaded that none but God 
would ever know of it. They may avow their 
experimental acquaintance with the deep things 
of God, and declare themselves to be entirely 
sanctified ; but thcv still yield to the influence 



52 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

of impure motives, and are often governed by 
unholy tempers. That many such instances 
of hypocrisy are found in the Christian 
church is a fact that will not be denied ; and 
they certainly form a powerful barrier to the 
progress of piety, and of course to the conver- 
sion of the world. No class of sinners were so 
severely reproved by our Lord as hypocrites, 
whom he invariably represented as powerful 
obstacles to his glorious cause ; for they " shut 
up the kingdom of heaven against men : *not 
going in themselves, neither suffering them that 
were entering to go in." When hypocrisy was 
in the camp of Israel, the Lord refused to go 
with his host to battle, and hence they were 
defeated, and the proud foe exultingly triumphed 
over the fallen sons of Israel ; and there can be 
no doubt but the people of God, in the present 
day, are often made to flee before the enemy, 
because of the hypocrisy which exists among 
his professed followers. Men should be sin- 
cere : do the things which God commands, or 
cease to say, " Lord, Lord !" get oil in their 
vessels, or cast away their lamps ; be Israel- 
ites indeed, in whom there is no guile, or im- 
mediately leave Jehovah's camp ; fight the good 
fight of faith, or put off the Christian uniform. 
Hypocrisy in the church is a more powerful 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 53 

obstacle to the spread of religion than infidelity 
in the world : the one is a treacherous foe within 
the citadel, the other an open foe without ; and 
we have no doubt that hypocrisy has done more 
than infidelity in corrupting the church, and 
impeding the progress of piety in the world. 

Worldly conformity among 'professors of 
religion is another obstacle to the conversion of 
the world. The church is to be distinct from 
the world. "Ye are not of the world," says 
Christ, " for I have chosen you out of the 
world:" and St. Paul exhorts Christians "not 
to be conformed to this world, but to be trans- 
formed." But do religious professors generally 
act upon this advice ? We fear not. For 
where do you see it attended to ? It is not in 
their apparel; for with the exception of the 
" Friends," and a few others, there is no per- 
ceptible difference in that respect between the 
professing church and the ungodly world. It 
is not in their mode of doing business ; for, like 
the men of the world, they will ask one price for 
an article and take another ; make engagements 
and not perform them, and contract debts with- 
out any rational prospect of paying them. It is 
not in their politics ; for in using their elective 
franchise they do not look out for men of piety, 
but persons of their own political creed, and 



54 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

will sometimes support the most irreligious 
characters in opposition to pious candidates, 
whose political views do not entirely accord 
with their own. It is not in their parties ; for 
if they do not indulge in dancing, or in a game 
of cards — the luxury, the levity, the gossip, and 
the slander of the world, not unfrequently mark 
such convivial assemblies. It is not in their 
conversation ; for although they may neither 
swear nor blaspheme ; yet, like the men of the 
world, they appear most at home when the mar- 
kets, or politics, or the weather, or their neigh- 
bors, form the topic of their conversation. In 
these statements we have of course spoken 
generally ; there are, thank God, many ex- 
ceptions; but, generally speaking, there is 
much criminal conformity to the world among 
religious professors, in these and in other things 
which might be mentioned. Now, as the pro- 
fessors of godliness are looked to for an ex- 
ample, and as they are to be the witnesses of 
Christ to an unbelieving world, such worldly 
conformity gives a false testimony on the im- 
portant subject of religion, likely to influence 
many to their hurt, and is therefore to be regard- 
ed as a powerful barrier to the spread of true 
religion. Christians should dare to be singular; 
cease their attempts to reconcile Christ and 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 55 

Belial ; meekly, but boldly, confess Christ be- 
fore men, and go unto him without the camp, 
bearing the reproach. If they conform to the 
world, it may not only imbolden the wicked in 
their wickedness, but " destroy him for whom 
Christ died," and cause " a weak brother to 
perish." Most resolutely, therefore, should 
they place themselves, both by their example 
and their testimony, for Christ, in opposition 
to " the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, 
the pride of life," and every form of corruption, 
in whatever character or garb it may appear 
before them ; so shall they make straight in the 
desert a highway for our God. 

Disunion among Christians is an obstacle to 
the conversion of the world. Christians are to 
be one; and not merely in their belief in the 
great truths of the gospel, but in affection ; for 
they are to be of one heart, striving together for 
the hope of the gospel. This, according to our 
Lord, is a mark of genuine discipleship ; for 
" by this shall all men know that ye are my 
disciples, if ye love one another :"• and accord- 
ing to St. John, it is an evidence of spiritual 
quickening; " for we know that we have passed 
from death unto life, because we love the bre- 
thren." But is this the character of the Chris- 
tian church generally? We fear not. For 



56 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

whence come the envyings, and strifes, and 
censoriousness, and evil speakings, and bitter 
controversies, among the different religions de- 
nominations ? Undoubtedly from the spirit of 
disunion, the want of brotherly affection. And 
to the same evil source may be traced the va- 
rious schisms in the church, which are of so 
frequent occurrence, and attended with so much 
asperity and unholy strife. While such a state 
of things exists, no very extensive revival of 
religion can be expected, as the way of the 
Lord is not prepared. The Saviour in his ad- 
mirable prayer intimates that Christian union is 
essential to the conversion of the world : " Nei- 
ther pray I for these alone, but for them also 
which shall believe on me through their word ; 
that they all may be one ; as thon, Father, art 
in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one 
in us : that the world may believe that thou hast 
sent me." The disciples were together with 
one accord, of one heart and of one mind, when 
the Holy Ghost came upon them on the day of 
Pentecost, and converted about three thousand 
souls ; and so long as they maintained this 
spirit, the hand of the Lord was with them, 
and a great multitude believed and turned unto 
the Lord ; but no sooner did they yield to un- 
sanctioned tempers, and suffer " envyings, strifes. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 57 

and divisions," than their moral power was per- 
ceptibly weakened, and the progress of the 
gospel greatly retarded. Christian professors 
should do all in their power to preserve " the 
unity of the spirit in the bond of peace," and 
not only with their own denomination, but with 
others also that hold the head, but in a few 
subordinate things agree not with them. They 
should cultivate that " charity which sufFereth 
long and is kind, which envieth not, vaunteth 
not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself 
unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily 
provoked, and wmich thinketh no evil." They 
should put the best construction upon every- 
thing they see or hear of their brethren, and be 
willing to make any sacrifice which does not 
imply the compromise of principle, rather than 
sow the seeds of discord among them, or give 
the occasion of offense even to a weak brother. 
In thus making the crooked straight and the 
rough places plain, they would prepare the way 
for the world's conversion. 

Covetousness among the professed disciples of 
Jesus is an obstacle to the conversion of thevoorld. 
The law of love under which they are placed, 
requires that their benevolence, in the cause of 
Christ be commensurate with their means ; but 
it certainly is not so : for it is believed that they 



58 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

possess a surplus treasure, which, if so appro- 
priated, would enable them to fulfill our Lord's 
command in sending the gospel to every crea- 
ture. And yet what exertion and entreaty it 
requires to extract from them a mere fraction 
of their wealth for that important object ! And 
small as is the amount thus obtained, we fear 
it would be greatly reduced, were we to deduct 
from it every contribution but such only as have 
been spontaneously offered from the pure, un- 
mixed, and ennobling motive of love to God 
and man. A minister who was greatly opposed 
to the present mode of collecting in places of 
worship, as being in his estimation calculated 
to encourage unworthy motives to give, resolved 
to dispense with it in his chapel ; and after 
having preached one evening on behalf of a 
charitable institution, he told his congregation 
that a box was placed in the lobby for the re- 
ception of their offerings, that they might be left 
to the influence of abstract Christian principles 
in their contributions on the occasion. The 
congregation consisted of about two hundred 
persons ; and as we were present during the ser- 
mon, we waited with the minister to ascertain 
the result ; when, lamentable to say, the sum 
deposited in the box did not amount to four 
shillings ! Govetousness on the part of the 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 59 

church is doubtless a powerful barrier to the 
progress of true religion. It was so under the 
former dispensation ; and indeed brought upon 
God's ancient people a fearful malediction : " Ye 
are cursed with a curse : for ye have robbed me, 
even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes 
into the storehouse, that there may be meat, in 
mine house ; and prove me now herewith, saith 
the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the 
windows of heaven, and pour you out a bless- 
ing, that there shall not be room enough to 
receive it." In this passage of Scripture God 
tells his people the cause of their spiritual bar- 
renness, and promises to shower his blessings 
most copiously upon them if they would remove 
that cause, by rendering to the Lord that pro- 
perty which he justly claimed, and which they 
had most unrighteously withheld from his ser- 
vice : and there can be no doubt that covetous- 
ness on the part of the Christian church is one 
principal cause of the low state of religion 
therein at the present period, and consequently 
one of the most powerful obstacles to the glo- 
rious triumphs of the gospel of Christ. 

Lukewarmness in the church is likewise an 
obstacle to the conversion of the world. Reli- 
gious professors are to be zealously affected 
always in a good thing ; and, to be consistent 



60 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

with their principles, they should be more 
zealous and persevering in the cause of God 
than in any other cause : but they are not so ; 
for many of them evince much more ardor in 
striving to procure what they are pleased to 
call a fortune for their children, than in leading 
those children to Jesus, whose blessing maketh 
rich, and whose favor is better than life ; and 
others display far more ardor in returning a fa- 
vorite member to the legislature than in saving a 
perishing world, as they will make sacrifices 
of time, of ease, and of property, for the one, 
which they never think of making for the other. 
Now this want of fervent, practical, and untiring 
zeal on the part of those who are directed to 
disciple the world, cannot but greatly militate 
against its conversion. Christians should shake 
off their lethargy, and press into the service of 
their divine Master all their capabilities, making 
the work of the Lord the great business of life, 
and faithfully acting out its aggressive princi- 
ples ; for, until they do so, little hope can be 
entertained of the universal establishment of the 
Saviour's kingdom. 

Idolizing pulpit talent by the members of the 
church is an obstacle to the world's conversion. 
A talented minister is certainly very pleasing ; 
and when a man is called of God to proclaim 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 61 

his gospel, he ought to improve his mind to the 
very utmost of his opportunities, and labor to be 
" a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 
rightly dividing the word of truth." A powerful 
and richly furnished mind never appears to 
greater advantage than when preaching the 
unsearchable riches of Christ : and yet it is not 
absolutely necessary to a successful ministration 
of the word ; for the Lord often chooses the 
" foolish things of the world to confound the 
wise," and puts " treasure in earthen vessels, 
that the excellency of the power may be of 
God, and not of men." But many religious 
professors appear to lose sight of this ; and 
hence the clamor for what is called talent, which 
we often hear. We must have a man of talent, 
say they, or our cause will sink ; and they will 
lacerate the feelings of a laborious, pious, and 
useful minister, and even reject him, that they 
may obtain what they are pleased to designate 
a man of talent, whose other qualifications for 
the ministerial office are not superior, if indeed 
equal, to those of the man rejected. It is to be 
feared that talent in many cases, rather than 
God, is sought for in the ministrations of the 
sanctuary ; and that many professed Christians 
go to the house of the Lord to idolize talent, 
rather than to worship their Maker. Often are 



62 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

they heard to speak with ecstasy of the beau- 
tiful language, well-turned periods, and graceful 
oratory with which they have been entertained, 
rather than of the unction they have felt ; and 
instead of glorifying God in their gifted minis- 
ters, they thus present their incense to talent, 
and consequently receive no spiritual good. 
The Lord is a jealous God, and will not give 
his glory unto another. If, therefore, the mem- 
bers of the church pay more attention to the 
messenger than to his message — to the frail 
vessel than to its valuable contents — they can- 
not but oppose the work of God ; and perhaps 
this is the chief, if not the only, reason that 
the ministry of many highly gifted ministers 
is comparatively unfruitful in the conversion of 
souls. 

Certain evils in the families of religious pro- 
fessors form a powerful obstacle to the conversion 
of the world. As we cannot mention all the 
evils in the domestic circle opposing the work 
of God, our attention must be directed to the 
most prominent and injurious of them. Among 
them may be mentioned ungodly marriages. 
They are positively forbidden ; and as the in- 
spired writers distinctly ascribe the deluge, and 
the Babylonish captivity, to such unholy unions, 
and as the wrath of God was kindled against 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 63 

the people in the days of Ezra, for having taken 
strange wives, and was not turned away until 
they had deeply humbled themselves before 
him, Christians have nothing to hope, but every- 
thing to fear, from marriages which God pro- 
hibits, and upon which he has so frequently 
impressed the marks of his displeasure. They 
bring the church and the world too closely to- 
gether ; and lead to sabbath parties, and other 
ungodly associations, which cannot but greatly 
retard the progress of true religion. Besides, 
they interfere with many plain acknowledged 
duties ; such as coming out from among the 
wicked, doing everything in faith, keeping out 
of the way of temptation, and bringing up chil- 
dren in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ; 
and must, consequently, operate most injuriously 
to the cause of the Redeemer. Inattention to 
family discipline is another of these evils. 
Christian families should have an altar to the 
triune God, and present thereon the morning 
and evening sacrifice. Parents should also re- 
strain their children from vice, instill into their 
minds the principles of true religion, and en- 
deavor, by all legitimate means, to bring them 
up in the way they should go. Wherever these 
duties are neglected, a powerful obstacle is placed 
in the way of a revival ; and whatever exertions 



64 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

such parents may make to bring sinners to God, 
they cannot scripturally hope for success, while 
in their own families they do not gather up the 
stumbling-blocks, and prepare the way of the 
Lord. They may distribute religious tracts, 
officiate in sabbath schools, engage in public 
prayer meetings, and in various ways evince 
much zeal for the Redeemer's cause ; but if they 
are indifferent about their own immediate rela- 
tives, and neglect to command their household 
after them, their manifest want of consistency 
cannot but operate against their usefulness, and 
greatly retard the work of the Lord : for that 
charity which passeth by a wife, or a child, to 
embrace a stranger, cannot but be regarded as 
a spurious affection, of which neither God nor 
man can approve. Depreciating ministers in 
the family circle is also an evil which should 
be avoided. The ambassadors of Christ, al- 
though not to be idolized, should nevertheless 
be honored, and especially in the presence of 
children: but if, instead of their being so, pa- 
rents speak of them disrespectfully, and repre- 
sent them as proud, overbearing, and despotic 
men ; or if, on returning from the sanctuary, 
they animadvert upon the discourse they have 
heard, undervalue the abilities of the preacher, 
and excite unholy mirth by their facetious re- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 65 

marks respecting him ; the probability is, that 
the conduct of such parents will not only place 
an insuperable barrier to their children re- 
ceiving good under the ministry of the man 
thus held up to contempt, but it will teach 
them to despise the ministerial character, and 
treat with levity the most sacred things, and 
cannot but greatly hinder the gospel of Christ. 
It is worthy of remark that the children of 
such parents seldom embrace true religion, 
but many of them become skeptical and 
dissipated. Now, as the prosperity of the 
church is greatly affected by what occurs within 
the family circle of its members, nothing should 
be allowed therein contrary to the word of 
God, or it will impede the progress of the world's 
conversion. 

The toleration of gross offenses in the Chris- 
tian church greatly opposes the universal triumphs 
of the glorious gospel. It is true, that Chris- 
tianity has not given any code of laws for the 
government of the church ; yet it has laid down 
certain great principles, as the foundation of 
that government. One of these principles is, 
that the immoral, after due admonition, are to 
be excommunicated, if they repent not. " If 
any man that is called a brother," saith the 
apostle, " be a fornicator, or covetous, or an 
5 



66 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extor- 
tioner, with such a one you are not to eat." 
In a religious community, where gross offenses 
are tolerated, perhaps because the authors of 
them are men of wealth and influence, religious 
prosperity cannot be expected. The work of 
God was checked in the churches of Pergamos 
and Thyatira, and their members severely re- 
buked, because they tolerated within their re- 
spective communities persons of immoral cha- 
racter. What the Lord therefore said by his 
servant to the Corinthian church, on the con- 
duct of one of its members, he says to every 
church so offending : " Put away from among 
you that wicked person ;" for " what commu- 
nion hath light with darkness ? and what con- 
cord hath Christ with Belial 1 or he that be- 
lieveth with an infidel ?" We are told that one 
sinner destroys much good ; and if connected 
with the Christian church, his spirit, conversa- 
tion, and indeed his whole deportment, cannot 
but be extensively pernicious, greatly retard the 
progress of vital godliness therein, and tend to 
encourage transgressors in their various prac- 
tices of vice. 

The. appointment of unconverted men to office 
in the church must also be hostile to the world's 
conversion. No unclean Israelite was permit- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 67 

ted to occupy any of the offices of the temple ; 
for all who bore the vessels of the Lord were 
to be clean ; and all the officers of the Chris- 
tian church, whether they be designated bishops, 
priests, deacons, elders, preachers, leaders, or 
stewards, are likewise to be clean. They are 
to be converted, and men of consistent walk 
and conversation ; for, independently of this 
character, they can have no qualifications to act 
for the church, neither can they fulfill the duties 
of their respective offices, with any rational 
prospect of increasing its prosperity. Some 
churches have, in part, fallen into this error, 
and allowed the unclean to officiate at the altar ; 
and, although the Methodist connection impera- 
tively requires that all its offices be filled by 
persons of piety, it is to be feared that in every 
instance that rule is not so strictly adhered to 
as it ought to be. If conversion to God, and 
consistent piety, should ever be dispensed with 
in the officers of any church, or regarded as a 
secondary thing ; or if men should be retained 
in office, either as ministers, or leaders, or 
stewards, who have lost the life and power of 
godliness, its glory will soon depart, as God 
will not work very extensively, if at all, in the 
conversion of souls, by unholy agents. 

Employing ungodly choirs of singers in the 



68 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

church is likewise a barrier to the progress of the 
gospel. Singing is a very important part of 
divine worship. It is either adoration, confes- 
sion, deprecation, intercession, supplication, or 
giving of thanks ; and should therefore be con- 
ducted by pious persons, who " sing with the 
spirit and with the understanding also." Chris- 
tians would not think it right for ungodly men 
to engage in public prayer in the sanctuary of 
God, but would be greatly shocked with such 
an impropriety; and yet there would be no 
more impropriety in that, than for ungodly 
choirs to lead the singing of public worship ; 
for in both cases the holy God is to be ad- 
dressed and worshiped. Far too little attention 
is paid to this subject in every section of the 
church ; and hence in many of our places of 
worship, when that Being is to be praised be- 
fore whom angels veil their faces, we have no 
devotional singing, but a grand performance of 
sundry conceited, vain, and giddy young people, 
who praise God with their lips, while their 
hearts are far from him. Their spirit, gestures, 
and general behavior, as well as much of their 
music, would be more accordant with the opera, 
than with the house of God ; and yet, strange 
to say, many of them are remunerated for their 
"valuable services!" Wherever this indecency 



CONVERSION OF THE WOULD. 69 

is tolerated, a powerful hinder ance to spiritual 
religion most unquestionably exists ; and it 
ought at once to be removed ; for ungodly 
choirs not only oppose the spirit of devotion, 
but very often occasion strifes and divisions 
among the members of the church, and excite 
a spirit of unholy contention very pernicious in 
its influence upon the Redeemer's cause. 

In short, as the Lord has commanded his 
church to disciple the world, everything tend- 
ing to corrupt the church, weaken its moral 
power, and lessen its efficiency, must be re- 
garded as an obstacle to the completion of the 
great work, and which the Saviour directs to be 
removed, that his purposes of love respecting 
the human family may receive their accomplish- 
ment, and all flesh behold his glory, 



70 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 



CHAPTER IV. 

It is not enough that a Christian does not 
hinder the gospel : he is to be a "helper to the 
truth/' and to consider himself, to a certain ex- 
tent, responsible for the conversion of the world. 
That the church, in its corporate character, is 
so responsible is generally admitted ; but it is 
to be feared that many who make that admis- 
sion do, nevertheless, lose sight of their own 
individual responsibility. Men have certain 
duties to perform, and not only with respect to 
their families, but with respect to the church 
and the world, which cannot be performed by 
proxy. It is their duty, undoubtedly, as Chris- 
tians to seek the conversion of sinners ; and 
from this no power on earth can release them. 
They may give their money to support institu- 
tions for the accomplishment of that object : but 
that does not absolve them from praying for all 
men, or from every one " saying to his neigh- 
bor, and to his brother, Know ye the Lord." 
Employing one talent is no legitimate argument 
for hiding others in the earth ; as all the powers 
with which we are invested are to be employed 
for the glory of God and the benefit of man. 
Every Christian should therefore feel that he 



CONVERSION OF THE WOLRD. 71 

has something to do in the conversion of the 
world ; and that whatever may be his station 
in life, God calls him as the light of the world 
to enlighten others, and as the salt of the earth 
to impart a savor to those with whom he is sur- 
rounded. 

As nothing is achieved in politics, arts, 
science, commerce, domestic economy, or per- 
sonal religion, independently of system, it has 
occurred to us that, as far as human agency is 
concerned, it might be well to methodise the great 
work of the world's conversion, and, according to 
some specified plan, faithfully and fully to work 
out the benevolent and aggressive principles of 
the gospel. We would therefore most respect- 
fully suggest that each converted person should en- 
deavor to bring one soul to God in the course of one 
year. And it is more than probable that he would 
succeed in the important undertaking, if he dili- 
gently, and in dependence upon divine aid, 
used all legitimate and practicable means for 
that purpose. Let him equally exert himself a 
second year to bring another soul to the know- 
ledge of the truth ; and there is no reason to 
believe that he would be less successful the 
second than the first year, in this work of faith 
and labor of love. Let each new convert be 
particularly instructed to do likewise, and urged 



72 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

to act thus consistently with his renewed na- 
ture, lest he should grieve the Holy Spirit, and 
lose the blessing imparted to his soul ; and we 
see no cause that he should not also succeed to 
the same extent. In some respects he will 
never have better qualifications for this delight- 
ful employment than when in all the sweetness, 
simplicity, and ardor of his first love. It is true 
he may have more zeal than knowledge ; but 
the fact of his having so recently experienced 
a change, is likely to give him much influence 
with his former companions in sin, which he 
may use with the best effect. If this plan were 
adopted, and faithfully acted upon, we have no 
doubt that the world, by the blessing of God, 
would soon undergo a great and salutary change. 
If but three thousand truly converted Chris- 
tians, filled with charity divine, and ardently 
desiring the world's conversion, would consent 
to act upon this suggestion, the result of their 
labors would very soon, we have no doubt, as- 
tonish the church, and spread peace and salva- 
tion through all the world. And surely the 
Church of England could furnish one thousand, 
the Dissenters a second thousand, and the Wes- 
leyan Methodists a third thousand. If we there- 
fore assume that three thousand persons in dif- 
ferent parts of the world, or only one half that 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 73 

number, will undertake this plan, and faithfully 
and perseveringly work it out, its success, if com- 
plete, would double the number annually, and in 
twenty years, as a reference to figures will 
prove, embrace the entire population of the globe* 
It is true that we have made no allowance in 
our calculation for deaths, failures, and instances 
of unfaithfulness ; but would not the deficiency 
arising from these causes be more than supplied 
in the following manner? — 

1 . By children who are in a state of infancy, 
and need not that conversion of which we now 
speak, but who, nevertheless, are included in 
the estimate of the world's population. 

2. By other Christians above the fifteen hun- 
dred mentioned, who are in possession of the 
saving grace of God. 

3. By those brought to Christ during the 
period specified, by the ordinary means of con- 
version, which with such co-operation would be 
greatly augmented, and become increasingly 
efficient. 

4. By the greater success attending the exer- 
tions of many of those adopting this plan than 

* Proportionate efforts and success on the part of the evan- 
gelical denominations in this country, added to those of the 
three mentioned in Great Britain, would bring about the ob- 
ject in half, or perhaps one-third, of the time.— Am. Ed, 



74 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

that of gaining one convert in twelve months ; 
as we have no doubt God would give greater 
success than that to a large number of his faith- 
ful servants. 

We admit that multitudes of the heathen 
might not be reached by this plan for some time, 
as it can only work efficiently in connection with 
the preaching of the word, and the ordinary means 
of grace ; but its influence upon Christendom 
would, we have no doubt, excite such a spirit 
of missionary enterprise, as would soon find ac- 
cess to all nations, and furnish the requisite 
means for the world's conversion. As the 
church possesses these means now, nothing but 
more piety is wanting to render them available ; 
and perhaps there is not anything so much cal- 
culated to promote an increase of piety among 
religious professors as the operation of the 
principle now recommended. Some Christians 
may think us too sanguine in our anticipations ; 
but we apprehend all will admit, that if indi- 
vidual and systematic effort for the salvation of 
souls were to be energetically put forth by the 
followers of Christ generally, it could not but 
greatly promote the spread of true religion, and 
hasten the conversion of the world ; and if the 
plan should but partially succeed, it ought not 
on that account to be abandoned, as partial sue- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 75 

cess in such a work would be infinitely better 
than no success at all. 

We would, therefore, recommend the truly 
pious of every Christian denomination to meet 
together in their respective churches for the 
adoption of this plan ; and if not more than two 
or three can be found in each church or reli- 
gious society willing to undertake the proposed 
work, let them not be discouraged, but act upon 
the following suggestions, most affectionately 
submitted, and we fear not the result of their 
systematic exertions : — - 

1. Let them in each church or religious 
community, in conjunction with their minister 
wherever that is practicable, form themselves 
into a class or classes, for the purpose of work- 
ing out, by all legitimate and practicable means, 
the aggressive and benevolent principles of 
Christianity. 

2. With the view of inducing and fixing the 
feeling of responsibility, and securing various^ 
vigorous, and persevering efforts, let the mem- 
bers of each class fix upon an equal number of 
individuals, whose conversion they resolve 
specially to seek ; and let the selection be 
made according to providential intimations. 

3. Let the persons so uniting feel their own 
insufficiency to accomplish any good independ- 



76 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

ently of divine aid ; and in earnest prayer let 
them commit their cause to God, that his bless- 
ing may fully qualify them for the successful 
prosecution of their important undertaking. 

4. Let each person seek intercourse with the 
individual assigned to his care, and by affection- 
ate treatment, by seasonable conversation, by 
putting into his hands suitable books, or tracts, 
by embracing every opportunity of getting him 
under the ministry of the word, and by special, 
earnest prayer, in secret, endeavor to save his 
soul from death. 

5. Let not the work degenerate into a system 
of proselytism, but let it be prosecuted in the 
spirit of a generous catholicity, avoiding all 
bigotry and mere sectarianism ; and let its 
agents simply seek the conversion of the soul, 
and rest not satisfied without it. 

6. Let every new convert be specially and 
particularly instructed that it is his imperative 
duty to engage in the same work ; and that if 
he do not thus act faithfully to the principles of 
his holy religion, the probability is that he will 
very soon lose his confidence and his comfort. 

7. Let a monthly meeting be held to report 
progress, and for mutual counsel ; and let no 
subject whatever be introduced into that meeting 
foreign to its important design, 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 77 

8. Let not the plan, in any of its operations, 
interfere with the established and ordinary- 
means of grace, but be regarded only as auxi- 
liary to the public preaching of the gospel ; or 
the Lord will withhold his blessing from it. 

Now, here is a plan for the world's speedy 
conversion, comprising no complicated machine- 
ry, but marked with a simplicity adapted to every 
class of society, and every grade of intellect, 
and founded upon the Scriptural and acknow- 
ledged principle, that it is the duty of Chris- 
tians to diffuse their religion, and to labor, in 
every possible way, to effect the conversion of 
sinners. Ought it not, therefore, to be 
tried ? The gospel has been making progress 
in the world about eighteen hundred years ; and 
it is computed there are not more than ten mil- 
lions* of true Christians, or about one-hundredth 
part of the human family, savingly converted to 
God. Let conversions go on at this rate, and 
from the present period it will take upward of 
one hundred and seventy-seven thousand years 
for the gospel to fill the whole earth. Some- 
thing, therefore, must surely be wrong or defect- 
ive in the present mode of seeking the salvation 
of the world. It is essential that ministers 
faithfully preach the word, that the Bible be 
* Todd's Sunday-School Teacher. 



78 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

printed and extensively circulated in every lan- 
guage, and that missionaries be sent to every 
heathen tribe ; but these important measures 
alone will not do ; for it is our settled convic- 
tion that the earth will never be filled with the 
knowledge of the Saviour until every man shall 
say to his brother and to his neighbor, "Know 
ye the Lord ?" Christians must, therefore, 
awake to their individual responsibility ; and 
new converts must be plainly told they will 
grieve the Holy Spirit and lose their religion, 
unless they obey its dictates, in seeking to save 
those around them. Had this been insisted upon 
from our pulpits, in a manner corresponding with 
its importance, as it respects both the church 
and the world, the moral aspect of the present 
day would have been very different from what 
we find it : but in some cases it has been en- 
tirely omitted, and in others treated in a way 
not likely to attract much attention ; and hence 
sinners have been allowed to perish in the pre- 
sence of Christian professors, without any effort 
being made to save them. 

It appears to us that five things are abso- 
lutely necessary for the efficient, and perfect 
operation of the plan proposed : — 

1 . The parties adopting this mode of work- 
ing must be deeply pious, fully consecrated to 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 79 

God ; for just in proportion as they are placed 
under the control of divine grace will they be 
morally qualified for teaching others the great 
truths of the gospel. David was evidently 
aware of this when he prayed, " Create in me 
a clean heart, O God ; and renew a right spirit 
within me ! Cast me not away from thy pre- 
sence ; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ; and 
uphold me with thy free Spirit. Then will I 
teach transgressors thy ways ; and sinners shall 
be converted unto thee." If Christians would, 
therefore, be extensively useful, they must seek 
to have a clean heart and a right spirit, to be 
entirely sanctified, to be " filled with the Spirit," 
and to have " every thought brought into cap- 
tivity to the obedience of Christ :" for such 
spiritual attainments will give them, not only 
genuine love for souls and pure zeal in the 
Redeemer's cause, but great power with God 
in prayer ; and will save them from the influ- 
ence of every selfish and mixed motive in their 
attempts to bring sinners to the foot of the 
cross. 

2. The parties adopting this mode of working 
must place no confidence in any plan, however 
excellent, but rest exclusively upon divine aid 
for success ; and .never, at any time, or in any 



80 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

way, receive the incense of praise which be- 
longs to God, but most resolutely and invariably 
give all the glory to him, whose right it is to 
receive the adorations and praises of his people, 
for any good that may be effected by their ex- 
ertions. If this be not constantly attended to, 
the machinery may move with order and beauty, 
but very soon there will be no " Spirit in the 
wheels." 

3. The parties adopting this mode of working 
must determine to persevere : and although they 
may, for some time, seem to labor in vain, that 
must not discourage their efforts ; for, in due 
time, they shall reap if they faint not. If, on 
speaking to an individual about his soul, any of 
them should be insulted, or even abused, he 
mustnotbe deterred from persevering, or induced 
to say, in the language of desponding unbelief, 
" It is in vain to attempt the conversion of that 
individual ;" but rather let him, in such a case, 
be more diligent in his attention to him, and 
more ardent at a throne of grace in his behalf, 
remembering the long-suffering of God, and that 
men are not to be turned aside from the path of 
duty by the mere aspect of things, however 
discouraging; for he that " observeth the wind 
shall not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds 
shall not reap." 



conversion: of the world. 81 

4. The parties adopting this mode of working 
must be careful to use the divinely appointed 
means in the way most likely to produce the 
desired result. It is not enough for a Christian 
merely to speak to a sinner about his soul, but 
he must speak fitly ; for a " word fitly spoken 
is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." 
There must be a fitness, not only in the cha- 
racter and matter of the speaker, but in his 
spirit and manner of speaking ; or, instead of 
softening, he will harden the hearts of those to 
whom he speaks, and excite powerful, and, it 
may be, unconquerable prejudice against the 
gospel of Christ. An abrupt and uncourteous 
manner, and a harsh and domineering spirit, are 
not only inconsistent with the Christian cha- 
racter, but they render that which is spoken, 
however good in itself, unfit for edification. 
" Speaking the truth in love" is the rule which 
the apostle lays down. " It is not detracting 
from the force of truth, or attaching too much 
worth to persuasion, when we say, that the suc- 
cess of truth depends very much on its adapta- 
tion to man's affections, and on the spirit of love 
in which it is administered. In making reli- 
gious truth acceptable to the mind, we cannot 
expect God to depart from his usual mode of 
making other truths agreeable, or to interfere 
6 



82 CONVERSION Or THE WORLD, 

to make that convincing and persuasive to the 
affections, which is exhibited in a mode and 
manner forbidding and repulsive. In the heart 
of man there are such deep-rooted prejudices 
against the truth to which the Christian invites 
attention, that he needs to present it in every 
form of alluring and fascinating aspect of which 
it is capable. It is supposed that every good 
man can ' win souls ;' but he who achieves this 
is described as ' wise,' knowing the elements 
of the soul, and how to act upon them. They 
that would win souls, must go wisely about it ; 
for, if they fail, it will be through lack of wis- 
dom, not through the want of influence."* 

5. The parties adopting this mode of working 
must embrace the most likely opportunities of 
success. Tract distributers, in calling to ex- 
change the tracts they have previously left with 
the families of a certain district, should embrace 
the opportunity of making such inquiries relative 
to the important subjects on which their little 
messengers of mercy treat, as may, by the 
blessing of God, lead to conviction, repentance, 
and salvation. Sunday-school teachers, into 
whose hands a large portion of society is given, 
to be molded and fashioned, should embrace the 
opportunity thus afforded, of seeking to give to 

* Jenkyn's Spirit and the Churqh, p. 474. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 83 

it the form and likeness of the divine image, 
which the apostle describes to be " righteous- 
ness and true holiness." Those who seek out 
and relieve the sick and friendless poor, should 
embrace the opportunity of telling them of the 
great Physician of souls, and how they may 
secure the " true riches." Indeed, Christians 
should " sow beside all waters." But while 
they should embrace every opportunity of use- 
fulness, each believer should also, for reasons 
already stated, solemnly resolve, by the help of 
God, to pay special attention to some one indi- 
vidual, that, if possible, he may be the instru- 
ment of leading him to Jesus ; and when the 
Lord has given him success with that one, let 
him fix upon another ; as such systematic and 
concentrated exertions are more likely to suc- 
ceed than those promiscuously and undetermi- 
nedly made. 

The Methodists possess superior facilities for 
usefulness ; and without any new arrangement 
their weekly classes might be so conducted as 
to work out with great efficiency the proposed 
plan. If every leader would urge the subject 
upon the members of his class, and prevail with 
them to engage in the delightful service of seek- 
ing to save souls, he might question them once 
a month on the difficulties and encouragements 



84 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

attending their exertions, and give them such 
counsel as their circumstances might require. 
This would keep the subject prominently be- 
fore the people, as well as introduce into those 
meetings a pleasing and useful variety, and 
could not but be attended with blessed results. 
According to the returns of 1841, the Wesleyans, 
under the charge of the British and American 
Conferences, amount to 1,302,127,* exclusive 
of regular ministers ; and as they embrace per- 
sons of many different nations, who speak nearly 
every language of this " Babel earth," if they 
were to act consistently with their creed, and 
diligently and faithfully to work their beautifully 
organized system, mighty results would be sure 
to follow ; and if the simple plan of each one 
endeavoring to gain one annually to Christ were 
to be acted upon by the whole connection, with 
zeal and perseverance, the world, by the bless- 
ing of God, would soon be rescued from the 
grasp of the great usurper. This distribution of 
labor is as rational as it is Scriptural ; and if 
the world is to be converted, the great and 
glorious work must be attempted in detail, and 
every man who is on the Lord's side must, in a 
spiritual sense, " fall upon his brother." 

* These bodies now (1845) number 1,627,584. — 
American Editor. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 85 

The system of direct personal exertion, on the 
part of private members of the church, has many 
things to recommend it. There are in the circle 
of every man's acquaintance, however small it 
may be, some persons whom the voice of a 
minister may never be able to reach ; for what 
Christian can survey the little sphere in which 
he might, without any violation of Christian 
wisdom, use endeavors for the conversion of 
sinners, without seeing some, and perhaps 
many, who never hear the gospel, but noto- 
riously estrange themselves from all probable 
means of religious improvement ? If any one, 
therefore, were willing diligently to occupy 
only that little sphere, instruction and reproof 
would be brought to bear upon some persons, 
to whom the public ministry is rendered void 
by their cherished neglect ; but to what an im- 
mense and almost immeasurable extent would 
the same effect be produced, if every one of the 
whole body of Christians were to do the same ! 
Such an effort would tend to bring home the 
truths of salvation to several hundred times, and 
probably to several thousand times, as many 
persons as hear them now. The opportunities 
which ministers can embrace of promoting the 
good of souls, though far from being confined 
to the preaching of the word, are, nevertheless, 



86 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

few when compared with those which may be 
employed by Christians in private life. In the 
domestic circle, for example, whatever may be 
the station which a pious person may occupy 
in it, what endless and diversified occasions 
may be taken of inducing or fostering religious 
concerns ! How often may conversation be 
directed to this end ! How instructively and 
convincingly may the example shine ! How 
expressive and influential may the aspect of the 
countenance be! How readily may portions 
of suitable reading be recommended ! Or, be- 
yond the domestic circle, in the wider range of 
relations, friends, and general acquaintance, 
how muck more may every private Christian 
do here, than can be done for the same persons 
by any minister, even if his voice could reach 
them all ! There is scarcely a moment, or a 
word, subject of course to the strictest regula- 
tions of Christian wisdom, which might not be 
rendered more or less subservient to the pouring 
in of instruction or persuasion in some of the 
many channels which are accessible by private 
intercourse or personal friendship alone. In 
such efforts peculiar facilities are afforded for 
insulating the parties concerned, and for appeal- 
ing more pointedly to the conscience and the 
heart. Under the public ministry of the word, 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 87 

men are addressed in the mass, and there is a 
great difficulty in inducing a particular appli- 
cation of general truths ; but in private inter- 
course this impediment does not exist. The 
party addressed feels that he is so ; and, 
however little he may be disposed to listen, 
there is a most favorable opportunity of 
pressing religion home upon his immediate 
and solemn regard. He cannot hide him- 
self in the crowd, nor evade reproof, without 
a distinct and painful consciousness that he 
is doing so. Neither should it be forgotten, 
that the system of direct individual exertion 
for souls multiplies, to an immense extent, 
the living exemplification of piety, by which 
instruction is so much facilitated. Although 
the personal character of ministers may be more 
widely known than that of other men, it is still 
known but to a very few of those whom their 
voices may address ; but when a Christian 
presses the great concerns of religion upon 
those with whom he is in frequent or perpe- 
tual intercourse, his example is continually 
within the observation of those to whom he 
speaks ; and if it be a consistent one, it will 
powerfully second his instructions. It seems 
to have been particularly with this view, that 
the man who had been possessed with the 



88 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

devil was desired to return, and, rather than 
any other person, become a pleader for Christ 
with his " friends . T ' They had seen him in his 
calamitous afflictions, and his presence would be 
a continual illustration of the power and grace 
of the Saviour. Hence the peculiar advantage 
of his labors, and hence the wisdom of the seem- 
ingly unkind decision of our Lord, " Go home 
to thy friends, and tell them how great things 
the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had com- 
passion on thee." 

It is one circumstance that tends to diminish 
the effect produced by ministers, that their ap- 
peals to the conscience are distant from each 
other. The impressions of the sabbath are but 
too subject to be effaced by the occupations of 
the week, like footsteps upon the sand by the 
returning tide. But the influence and exertions 
of private Christians may be brought to bear, in 
many cases, with great frequency, and in some, 
as in domestic life, with almost entire constancy. 
Efforts thus continually repeated have a greater 
probability of success, as the hardest stones are 
broken by the repetition of moderate strokes ; 
while any advantage which may be gained, is 
in the same method more easily secured. 
Those who know how difficult it is to make an 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 89 

impression upon " the stony heart " at all, and 
how much more difficult it is to retain it there, 
will know also the value of this consideration. 
Besides, the efforts for conversion made by 
private Christians are accompanied by a variety 
of most favorable influences. Every Christian 
sustains some of the relations of life ; and 
whatever he does for the conversion of another, 
carries with it the influence connected with 
the relations he bears. Now, excepting where 
it is destroyed by unkindness of general con- 
duct, the influence thus arising is in all cases 
kindly and powerful. If a child has anything 
pressed upon him by a parent, it comes with a 
force of parental authority and love. If a parent 
has anything properly suggested to him by a 
child, it cannot but breathe touchingly of filial 
affection and concern. The same illustration 
might be applied to all the relations of life, 
with a force corresponding with the kindliness 
which they are adapted to generate, and the 
actual kindness with which they have been 
filled. All these influences are important auxi- 
liaries to the cause of Christ, and they give 
private Christians many advantages over the 
ministers of the gospel. One class of influences 
indeed belongs to ministers, and " full proof' 



90 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

should be made of it ; but so likewise should it 
be with all other influences which can be brought 
to bear on the same end. 

The personal efforts required of private Chris- 
tians are neither impracticable nor difficult, but 
are pre-eminently easy. It is not necessary 
that Christians should go two or three miles to 
a village, or to a distant part of the town in which 
they live, in order to be useful ; for their mis- 
sion is to their " neighbor and to their brother" 
— "their work is in their own house, and at 
their feet all the day long. It requires no 
neglect of the ordinary duties of life, no absence 
from business, no violent effort, no cost of 
money. The efforts now advocated are such as 
Christians can make in, and not out of, the com- 
mon occupations and intercourse of life, without 
any deviation from diligence in business, pro- 
priety of manners, or the necessary wisdom of 
piety. Such efforts have immense advantages 
in comparison with any other which can be 
conceived."* 

* Hinton's Individual Effort. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 91 



CHAPTER V. 

It has already been stated that the plan of 
individual and systematic effort for the conver- 
sion of the world, which with much diffidence 
we have ventured to suggest, can work effi- 
ciently only in connection with the ministry of 
the word. " Preach the gospel to every crea- 
ture," is the Saviour's commission to his people, 
which they are bound, by every obligation which 
the love of God and man imposes, faithfully to 
fulfill. Indeed, the apostle represents the sal- 
vation of the heathen as depending on the 
church sending forth missionaries. His lan- 
guage is, " There is no difference between the 
Jew and the Greek ; for the same Lord over 
all is rich unto all that call upon him. For 
whosoever shall call upon the name of the 
Lord shall be saved. How then shall they 
call upon him in whom they have not believed 1 
and how shall they believe in him of whom 
they have not heard ? and how shall they hear 
without a preacher ? and how shall they preach, 
except they be sent ? as it is written, How beau- 
tiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel 
of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things !" 



92 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

But is the Christian church in circumstances 
to execute the commission of our glorious Re- 
deemer 1 Undoubtedly she is. The Lord never 
imposes an obligation on his people which they 
are unable to discharge. 

If the population of the unchristianized world 
be taken at six hundred millions, its lowest 
estimate,* not fewer than twenty thousand mis- 
sionaries would be required, to give to every 
thirty thousand persons one missionary; and if, 
on an average, the expenses of each should 
amount to the sum of two hundred and fifty 
pounds per annum, five millions would be annu- 
ally required to support the whole — a sum which 
in this country alone might be contributed with- 
out any painful sacrifice, if the plan recommend- 
ed in the preceding chapter were to be acted 
upon by the churches. Christians are certainly 
not sufficiently exerting themselves in the mis- 
sionary cause, or they would present much larger 
offerings upon its altar. " If we put in contrast 
what is contributed by Christians of all denomi- 
nations to our principal religious societies, and 
what is spent or contributed in a few other 
ways, perhaps we may be surprised, if not as 
Christians made ashamed of our conduct. 

* There are different estimates of the world's population. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 



93 



' Contributions to the principal Societies for the Spread of 
Christianity , for the Year ending May, 1839. 



FOREIGN MISSIONS. 



TOTAL RECEIPTS. 
£. S. d. 



Baptist Missionary Society . 
Church of Scotland Missions 
Church Missionary Society 
Colonial Missionaiy Society 
Colonial Church Society 
European Missionary Society 
Gospel Propagation Society 
London Missionary Society 
Moravian Missionary Society 
Wesleyan Missionary Society 

Total 



22,416 1 11 

6,000 

72,031 6 1 

2,356 6 6 

1,483 4 4 

1,390 10 

71,308 18 2 

65,490 10 5 

4,355 13 1 

84,818 12 2 



. £331,651 


2 


8^ 


IES.* 






£. 


s. 


d. 


. 105,255 


2 


11 


2,804 





3 


3,059 





7 


. 90,363 








. £201,481 


3 


9 



BIBLE SOCIETIES.* 



British and Foreign Bible Society 
Naval and Military Bible Society 
Trinitarian Bible Society . 
Christian Knowledge Society . 

Total . 



MISSIONS FOR LONDON AND ENGLAND. 

£. s. d. 

Baptist Home Missionaiy Society . . 2,693 14 3 

Church Pastoral- Aid Society . ' . . 10,423 4 5 

* This includes the money received from the sale of 
Bibles by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and of 
Bibles and other books by the Christian Knowledge Society. 



94 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

£. 8. d. 

Christian Instruction Society . . . 1,358 10 10* 
Home Missionary Society . . . 7,000 

London City Mission .... 4,820 8 5 



Total . . . £26,295 17 11 

TOTAL. 

£. s. d. 
The principal Foreign Missions . . 331,651 2 8£ 
Bible Societies . 201,481 3 9 

Missions for London and England . . 26,295 17 11 

£559,428 4 4£ 

Income and Expenditure of the United Kingdom for one Year, 
ending January 5th, 1839. 

CUSTOMS AND EXCISE. 

Spirits : £. £« 

Foreign . . . 1,389,371 



Rum 


1,411,067 




British 


5,467,201 


8,267,639 


Malt .... 


4,932,080 




Hops 

"Wine .... 


302,906 


5,234,986 
. 1,846,057 


Tobacco and snuff 




. 3,561,812 


Horses 


. 377,477 




Carriages 


. 442,757 




Dogs .... 


. 156,200 


976,434 
241,266 


Post horses 





Total . . . £20,128,194 



The free contributions do not amount in the whole of these 
societies to more than £70,000. 
* This includes sale of tracts, &c. 



CONVERSION 0> - THE WORLD. 95 

" Thus it will appear that all the contributions 
to the religious societies just mentioned do not 
amount to the sum paid in taxes on carriages 
and dogs alone, the latter being £598,957. The 
duty paid on spirits, malt and hops, wine, to- 
bacco and snuff, horses, carriages, and dogs, is 
£20,128,194 ! and the great religious societies 
mentioned above, deducting the sale of books, 
did not receive last year half a million ! 

" The amount of malt consumed by the Lon- 
don brewers, in 1837, was 5,692,360 bushels, 
which at 7s. per bushel amounts to £1,992,325. 
The amount of spirits sent out with permits for 
consumption in the metropolis in 1837 was as 
follows : — 

GALLONS. AVERAGE. £. 

Foreign spirits, . 1,270,931 at 20s. per gallon, 1,270,931 
British do.. \ 5,354,388 at 10s. per gallon, 2,677,194 

Total* .... £3,948,125 



The quantity of tobacco consumed was 3,636,- 

362 lbs. at 5s 909,090 

And of snuff consumed 1,181,723 lbs. at 5s. . . 295,430 



Total .... £1,204,520 



Total spent on malt, spirits, tobacco, and snurT, 
in the metropolis in 1837, £7,144,970 ! 

* This does not include contraband spirits. 



96 CONVERSION OF THE WtRLD. 

" There can be no want of money to do good 
with, if we are disposed to apply what we have^ 
in the fear of God, for the benefit of perishing 
souls."* 

From the above most humiliating calculations, 
it appears that the mere duty paid on malt and 
hops would more than supply the wants of 
twenty thousand missionaries ; and that the 
amount expended in the metropolis alone, in 
1837, on spirits, tobacco, and snufT, articles cer- 
tainly not among the necessaries of life, would 
have supported a similar number, and left a sur- 
plus of £152,645. And what is still more 
deeply affecting, the expenses of two hundred 
thousand missionaries might be met by the sum 
spent in distilled and fermented liquors through- 
out Great Britain and Ireland.! 

God calls' us as a Christian nation to preach 
the gospel to every creature, and has given us 
pecuniary resources fully equal to the discharge 
of that important duty. It is estimated that 
there are ten millions of sincere Christians in 
the world ; and if we suppose that but two mil- 

$ Christian Guardian. [A comparison between our ex- 
penses for luxuries and for charitable institutions would be 
equally humiliating, though we should find a variation in the 
character of the items. — Am. Ed.] 

+ Third Report of the New British and Foreign Temper- 
ance Society. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 97 

lions and a half, a fourth of that number, in con- 
nection with the different Protestant churches, 
would consent, for the sake of Christ and perish- 
ing souls, to deny themselves to the extent of 
but one half pint of malt liquor per day, or of 
any other thing of the same value, and conse- 
crate their savings to the missionary cause, 
these savings would in each case be about two 
pounds annually, and in the aggregate the noble 
sum of £5, 000,000, the amount required for the 
support of twenty thousand missionaries. The 
Wesleyan Methodists alone, in different parts 
of the world, exclusive of their ministers, as we 
have already seen, number 1,302,127 commu- 
nicants ; and if they were to act upon the above 
suggestion, they would raise nearly one half of 
the sum required to support the missionary 
agents specified. We are aware that many 
persons are of opinion that the Wesleyans are 
already exceedingly abundant in their contribu- 
tions ; and, perhaps, when compared with some 
other sections of the church, they are so : but 
certainly they have not yet, as a body, made 
many sacrifices for the cause of Christ. Let 
the amount contributed throughout the connec- 
tion in support of the entire machinery of 
Methodism be equally distributed among its 
members, and we are prepared to prove by the 
7 



98 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

most indisputable evidence, that even British 
Methodists, in their support of that form of 
Christianity which has given them habits of 
sobriety and industry, and enriched many whom 
it found in poverty, as well as conferred upon 
them blessings more precious than^rubies, do 
not, on an average, contribute annually quite 
twenty shillings per member !* 

Fasting is a religious duty, and was strictly 
observed in the apostolic age. The venerated 
Wesley was so impressed with its importance 
that he requested the people of his charge to 
observe it privately one day in the week, and 
publicly once in every three months. In this 
respect Methodism is not what it was in the 
days of Wesley, there being little attention paid 
by his followers to the duty of fasting ; and al- 
though they still have their quarterly fasts an- 
nounced from their pulpits, few comparatively 
take any notice of them. This in our estima- 
tion is very detrimental to that body. If its 
several members would once a quarter observe 
a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, that 
God would revive and extend his work, the 
happiest results might be expected. Fasting, 

* This does not, of course, include their late centenary- 
contributions. [In this country the average is much less. — 
Am. Ed.] 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 99 

however, should never be made the means of 
improving our finances : but the amount saved 
by this Scriptural self-denial should be sacredly- 
devoted to purposes of Christian charity. Now 
it has already been stated that the members of 
the Wesleyan body amount to more than a mil- 
lion and a quarter ; and if they would consent 
to observe their quarterly fast regularly, and 
consecrate its savings to the missionary cause, 
the result would be most cheering. They might 
be divided into four classes : and if the first 
class saved one shilling per quarter by fasting, 
the second nine-pence, the third six-pence, and 
the fourth three-pence, the handsome sum of 
£1 62,762 would be the annual amount thus 
raised. The due observance of this rule would 
promote bodily health as well as spiritual 
vigor : and if other denominations of Christians 
would act upon a similar plan, ample funds for 
the conversion of the world would be laid upon 
the missionary altar, and derived from a source 
which could not but receive the divine appro- 
bation, and prove a general blessing to the 
church. 

In the present day a^ powerful temperance 
movement is being made, and total abstainers 
have placed themselves in a position to make 
an irresistible impression upon the church, and 



100 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

to influence the destinies of the world, if they 
are disposed to do so. They are supposed to 
number, in different parts of the world, not fewer 
than ten millions. Now assuming that only 
one-third of them belong to some section of the 
Protestant church, if they would consent to con- 
tribute to the missionary societies of their re- 
spective churches, as a thank-offering to God, 
one penny each, per day, they would thus 
raise the sum necessary for the maintenance 
of twenty thousand missionaries ; and such 
a line of conduct could not but deeply im- 
press the church with the importance, benevo- 
lence, and mightiness of their operations, and 
confer an invaluable blessing upon a perishing 
world. 

Thus we perceive with what ease, and in how 
many different ways, funds may be raised for 
the conversion of the dark nations of the earth. 
That the missionary cause may be supported, 
and work with greater efficiency, we would re- 
spectfully offer the following suggestions : 

1. Every Christian ought to be plainly and 
solemnly told, that it is as much his duty to 
seek, by all practicable and legitimate means, 
the conversion of the world, as it is his duty to 
cultivate a watchful and devotional spirit ; and 
every person, on his admittance into any reli- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 101 

gious community, should have the subject 
brought clearly before him as an indispensable 
line of conduct, which he is bound to observe, 
if he would not grieve the Holy Spirit ; or act 
inconsistently with his Christian profession. 
We fear this duty has too frequently been kept 
out of sight, or has been represented as a mat- 
ter which may be omitted without seriously, if 
at all, implicating the Christian character. It is 
high time that it was brought out with that 
prominence which its importance with respect 
to both the church and the world most unques- 
tionably demands. 

2. Professors of religion should be shown the 
absurdity and folly of praying for the conversion 
of the heathen, if they will not, according to 
their ability, support missionary operations. 
We have already seen that divine truth is the 
great instrument of salvation : he therefore who 
prays for the conversion of the heathen world, 
but refuses to contribute anything for the pro- 
mulgation of that truth among its dark and 
wretched population, is like the husbandman 
who prays for his dayly bread, but neglects to 
cultivate his fields, and sow his grain. Besides, 
the prayer which proceeds from a heart that 
loves money more than souls, and withholds 
what God most equitably requires, is not likely 



102 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

to avail. Perhaps this is the chief reason that 
prayer offered up in the church for the universal 
spread of Christianity is not more successful. 
We know a person who frequently, and with 
considerable ardor, engages in supplication to 
God for the outpouring of the Spirit upon the 
unsaved world, at the monthly missionary 
prayer meetings, but who refuses to give any- 
thing «to the interesting cause for which he 
prays, although in circumstances to do so, 
alledging that he always remembers the mis- 
sionaries and their work at the throne of grace. 
Mistaken man ! The conversion of the world 
will never be facilitated by his prayers, while 
he thus criminally comes before the Lord 
empty. 

3. Contributors to missionary societies should 
be taught to observe the Scriptural standard of 
giving. They must be informed that God ex- 
pects them to contribute according to their 
ability; and that in casting their offering into 
the missionary treasury, they are not to be in- 
fluenced by the giving of others, but to give as 
the Lord has prospered them. In some in- 
stances we have known individuals contribute 
their guinea [$5 00] annually, and although in 
circumstances indescribably better than when 
they first gave it, yet so tenaciously adhere to 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 103 

that amount, as if God had said they were to 
give their guinea, their whole guinea, and no- 
thing but their guinea. This certainly is very 
culpable ; arguing, as it does, that the parties 
are not governed by a right principle. We 
have sometimes been asked what proportion of 
a Christian's income should be devoted to the 
cause of God. But no standard of per centage 
can be given ; as one per cent, on the income 
of certain parties would no doubt be more ac- 
ceptable to the Lord than ten, or even twenty 
per cent., on the income of others ; for he does 
not so much estimate the value of the offering 
by its amount, as by the amount remaining in 
the possession of the giver. The Scriptural 
standard is, not to give any specific sum, but 
every man to give according to his ability. 
Several pious persons, feeling their responsi- 
bility in reference to the conversion of the 
world, and looking to that period when they 
must give an account of their stewardship, do 
appropriate what they believe to be an equitable 
per centage of their income to the support of 
Christian missions. Some give five per cent., 
others ten, others twenty, and others more than 
that ; nor do they find themselves any poorer 
for their liberality, and they have the great lux- 
ury of doing good to the most wretched of the 



104 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

human family. We know a gentleman who is 
wealthy, but very abundant in his offerings. 
He told us some time ago that he had four rea- 
sons for giving largely. The first was that his 
property might be made a blessing to him in 
this world, and not a curse : the second was, 
that he might not be condemned as an unfaith- 
ful servant, when he should give an account of 
his stewardship : the third was, that he might 
be an instrument of good to those who required 
help, and who without his interposition might 
perish : and the fourth was, that he might effec- 
tually oppose and conquer his tendency to covet- 
ousness. He stated that his besetting sin was 
the love of the world ; and on a certain occa- 
sion, when wealth was pouring in upon him 
from various sources, he was very powerfully 
assailed by it. He left his office, and retired 
to pray against the besetment ; but was not de- 
livered. He retired agaip, and prayed more 
earnestly ; but felt no relief. A third time he 
besieged the throne of grace ; but his soul still 
adhered to the dust of the earth. While musing 
upon his state, it was suddenly impressed upon 
his mind that he ought to increase his liberality ; 
and yielding to that impression, he made a mu- 
nificent offering to the poor, doubled all his 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 105 

subscriptions to charitable objects, and thus 
gained a complete victory over the love of the 
world. He also informed us, that whenever he 
was in danger of his besetting sin, he invariably 
increased his givings, and strongly recommend- 
ed this as the best cure for covetousness. The 
rule of proportion should also be observed in 
giving ; for certainly a mere local charity, how- 
ever valuable, has not the same claim for sup- 
port as that charity whose object is to convert 
the whole human family ; and yet there are 
those who give their dollar, or their five dollars, 
to every institution they support, whether its 
object be to rear an exotic plant or to save a 
perishing world ! 

4. Directors of the different missionary so- 
cieties should confer with each other on the 
appointment of their respective missionaries, 
that all unnecessary interference with each 
other's fields of labor may be avoided. It is, in 
our opinion, very imprudent for different reli- 
gious bodies to send their agents to cultivate 
the same ground, when the vast wilderness 
overspread with noxious weeds remains unex- 
plored. Such conduct, in some cases, may 
serve the purposes of a mere party ; but its 
tendency will be to interrupt brotherly love, and 



106 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

to excite in new converts the spirit of bigotry, 
and lead them to the practice of an unprofitable 
controversy. 

" It is desirable," says one* who had fully 
considered the subject, "for every society to 
have a distinct sphere of labor among a heathen 
people. Much as I should rejoice in being as- 
sociated with an Episcopalian, a Baptist, or a 
Methodist brother, who did not attach primary 
importance to secondary objects, yet the inte- 
rests of every mission, especially in the early 
stages of its progress, seem to me to require 
another line of conduct. The natives, though 
comprehending but imperfectly our objects, 
would at once discern a difference in the modes 
of worship, and their attention would of neces- 
sity be divided and distracted. Being also of 
an inquisitive disposition, they would demand 
a reason for every little deviation, which would 
lead to explanations, first from the one party 
and then from the other : and thus evils would 
arise, which otherwise might never have ex- 
isted." Abraham's advice to Lot is applicable 
to missionary societies, and should be acted 
upon by them, whatever temporary inconveni- 
ence it may occasion. He said, " Let there be 
no strife, I pray thee, between thee and me, 

* Rev. John Williams. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 107 

and between my herdmen and thy herdmen ; 
for we be brethren. Is not the whole land be- 
fore thee ? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from 
me : if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will 
go to the right ; or if thou depart to the right 
hand, then I will go to the left." 

5. Missionaries should encourage a native 
ministry. It is most obvious that the heathen 
world will never be supplied with an adequate 
number of foreign missionaries, as it would re- 
quire not fewer than six hundred thousand, to 
give but one to every thousand of its population ; 
and certainly, when we consider its circum- 
stances of ignorance and depravity, that pro- 
portion of pastoral aid is not too large. Mis- 
sionaries from Christendom must carry the glad 
tidings of salvation to the heathen world ; but 
the conversion of its overpowering numbers 
will, in my opinion, mainly depend upon native 
teachers, who are fully acquainted with the 
languages and customs of the people, and in 
some other respects have better qualifications 
for the work than foreigners generally can pos- 
sess, whatever be the culture of their minds, or 
the depth of their piety. It is worthy of re- 
mark, that the glorious success attending the 
operations of the London Missionary Society in 
the isles of the Pacific Ocean is, to a great 



108 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

extent, the result of God's blessing upon the 
labors of native teachers : and the remarkable 
revival of religion which took place in the 
Friendly Islands, in 1834, in connection with 
the efforts of the Wesleyan Society, in which 
many thousands were converted to God, began 
under the ministry of a native teacher ; for 
while he was preaching on the compassion of 
Christ, the Holy Ghost fell upon the people 
that heard the word, and a scene followed, pro- 
bably unequaled in the Christian church since 
the days of the apostles. As there can be no 
doubt that native, and not foreign preachers, 
must ultimately be come the pastors of the people, 
missionaries should not entertain any prejudices 
against them ; but employ every possible legiti- 
mate effort to raise them up, and qualify them 
for the interesting and important work. If 
institutions were to be established in India, 
Africa, Polynesia, and the West Indies, for the 
theological training of native converts whose 
natural and spiritual endowments may point 
them out as proper persons to be employed as 
ambassadors to their respective countrymen, the 
happiest results would no doubt follow. This, 
in our estimation, would be a more legitimate 
application of the funds of missionary societies, 
than that of expending them in the education 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 109 

of the children of the heathen ; for whatever 
may be said in favor of such education, it is 
certainly not the apostolic way of seeking to 
convert the world. Our views on the subject 
entirely coincide with those of the Rev. Ralph 
Stott, expressed in a communication to the 
Wesleyan Missionary Committee, dated April 
8th, 1841. Having given a delightful account 
of the conversion of several of the wild Jungle 
Veddahs, he says, " We ought to have schools 
in their Jungle villages, where the people are 
embracing the gospel ; for though experience has 
taught me that schools have done very little for 
us comparatively among the mere heathen, yet I 
consider them of first-rate importance among 
those heathens who have embraced Chris- 
tianity." 

6. Every Christian missionary should instruct 
his converts from heathenism to work out the 
aggressive principles of Christianity, by exert- 
ing themselves, in every possible way, to bring 
sinners to Jesus. And if the plan of each con- 
vert annually leading a sinner to the enjoyment 
of a Saviour's blessing were to be adopted, and 
successfully acted upon, the thirty thousand per- 
sons we have supposed to be placed under the 
care of each missionary, would, in considerably 
less than twenty years, be the recipients of the 



110 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

grace of God. Such a plan, I have no doubt, 
would also raise up all that pastoral aid among 
the people themselves which such a state of 
things would necessarily require. 

But some will probably say, " If we have the 
means of supporting twenty thousand mission- 
aries, where can we find the men 1 The Chris- 
tian church has no such number of men to offer 
upon the missionary altar." Perhaps not : but 
let the plan suggested in the previous chapter 
be acted upon with zeal and perseverance 
throughout the various sections of the church 
of Christ ; and the men will, no doubt, be forth- 
coming when required. When the live coal 
touched the lips of Isaiah, purging away his sin, 
he offered at once to undertake a most difficult 
and hazardous mission, exclaiming, " Here am 
I, send me !" And there are many in Christen- 
dom who want nothing but the live coal to lead 
them to a similar result. The Lord has found 
men for the work of evangelizing the world in 
proportion to the means his people have raised 
for supplying their wants. Fifty years ago, 
the Wesleyans could not have found three 
hundred and eighty missionaries for the heathen 
world, because they had no funds for their 
support : but no sooner did they possess those 
funds, than the requisite number were bap- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. Ill 

tized for the important work of preaching 
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of 
Christ.* 

But perhaps others will say, that if we had 
both money and men for the conversion of the 
world, the work could not at the present period 
be effected, as many places are inaccessible to 
missionaries, and it would be quite impossible 
to obtain a Christian establishment in them. So 
it may now appear. But cannot the Governor 
among the nations raise up one and put down 
another, as seemeth good in his sight? And 
can he not, as in ancient days, " open the two- 
leaved gates " before his people, whenever they 
are prepared to enter in ? Has the church ever 
raised funds for the conversion of the world, 
and been obliged to appropriate them to some 
other object, because there was no providential 
opening among the heathen ? Never. On the 
contrary, openings have been furnished in pro- 
portion to the missionary character of the church. 
Perhaps there never was a time, since the days 
of the apostles, that so much was doing for the 
heathen world as there is at the present : and 
yet we perceive no lack of openings for mis- 
sionary operations ; but, on the contrary, Provi- 

* We have never failed to find the men when we 
could command the means. — Am. Ed. 



112 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

dence has gone before the church, beckoning 
onward the committees and directors of mis- 
sionary societies to enter one interesting field 
of labor after another, until they have left their 
respective churches far behind, groaning under 
a debt, which would never have been contracted 
had those churches done their duty as workers 
together with God. But suppose we should 
have both men and money without any adequate 
openings, are we on that account to yield to 
despondency, prove unfaithful to our trust, and 
relax our energies in the glorious work ? Cer- 
tainly not. God may thus try our faith and love. 
Besides, Christianity is the same thing now as 
it was when, under its influence, its disciples 
encountered the most formidable opposition, 
and cheerfully made choice of the fires of mar- 
tyrdom, rather than prove unfaithful, to their 
principles, or ungrateful to their God. And are 
there no men in the Christian church willing to 
become martyrs in the cause of the world's con- 
version ? Assuredly there ought to be ; and, 
unless I am greatly mistaken, there are such 
men, who, if called upon, would be willing to 
shed their blood in the missionary cause, if, like 
the blood of the ancient martyrs, it might be- 
come the seed of the church. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 113 



CHAPTER VI. 

Efforts for the conversion of mankind, and 
especially when they are systematized, are* sup- 
posed by some to interfere with the sovereignty 
of God. Those persons conceive God's sove- 
reignty to be something very different from what 
it is, — implying such an arbitrary disposal of 
events, and particularly of the gift of his Spirit, 
as to preclude a rational employment of means 
for the conversion of the world. But there is 
no evidence from the Bible that God exercises 
any such sovereignty as that. There are no 
facts to prove it ; but everything goes to show 
that God has connected means with the end 
through all the departments of his government, 
both in nature and in grace. There is no natural 
event in which his own agency is not concerned. 
He has not built the creation like a vast ma- 
chine, that will go alone without his further 
care. He has not retired from the universe to 
let it work of itself; but exercises over it a 
universal superintendence and control ; and yet 
every event in nature has been brought about 
by means. He neither administers providence, 
nor grace, with that sort of sovereignty that 
8 



114 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

dispenses with the use of means ; and there is 
no more sovereignty in the one case, than in 
the other. 

The established connection between the use 
of appropriate means and the result, or between 
cause and effect, is of the most encouraging 
nature to vigorous and persevering efforts to 
bring sinners to God. " I believe," says one, 
" that the connnection between the right use of 
means to save sinners, and the accomplishment 
of that important end, is as philosophically sure, 
as between the right use of means to raise 
grain and a crop of wheat. I believe, in fact, 
it is more certain, and that there are fewer 
instances of failure. The effect is more certain 
to follow. Probably the law concerning cause 
and effect is more undeviating in spiritual than 
in natural things, and so there are fewer ex- 
ceptions, as I have before said. The paramount 
importance of spiritual things makes it reason- 
able that it should be so. Take the Bible, the 
nature of the case, and the history of the church, 
all together, and you will find fewer failures in 
the use of means for the revival and extension 
of religion, than in farming, or any worldly 
business. In wordly business there are some- 
times cases, where counteracting causes anni- 
hilate all a man can do. In raising grain, for 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 115 

instance, there are cases which are beyond the 
control of man ; such as drought, hard winter, 
worms, and so on. So in laboring to promote 
a revival, there are many things occur to coun- 
teract it ; something or other turning up to divert 
the public attention from religion, which may 
baffle every effort : but I believe there are fewer 
such cases in the moral than in the natural 
world. I have seldom seen an individual fail, 
when he used the means for promoting a re- 
vival, or the conversion of sinners, in earnest, 
in the manner pointed out in the word of God. 
I believe a man may enter on the work of pro- 
moting the salvation of souls, with as reasonable 
expectation of success, as he can enter upon 
any other work with an expectation of success ; 
with the same expectation as the farmer has of 
a crop when he sows his grain. I have some- 
times seen this tried, and succeed under cir- 
cumstances the most forbidding that can be 
conceived." 

The aggressive principle upon which the 
plan suggested for the world's conversion is 
based, we have known worked out with encou- 
raging success. A female with whom we are 
acquainted acted upon it with great zeal and 
diligence ; and in the course of three years she 
had the unspeakable pleasure of seeing twelve 



116 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

persons walking in the fear of the Lord and in 
the comforts of the Holy Ghost whom she had 
been instrumental in bringing into that blessed 
state of Christian experience ; and many of 
them had been living in circumstances of most 
revolting depravity. The same line of conduct 
was adopted by three young men, private mem- 
bers of the Wesleyan Connection, of most fervent 
and decided piety ; and so successful were their 
efforts, that above thirty persons, of whose con- 
version no rational doubt could be entertained, 
were in one year led to the sinner's Friend by 
their truly benevolent and energetic exertions. 

We have also known classes in the Wesleyan 
Connection act upon this principle ; and, gene- 
rally speaking, they have in the course of one 
year doubled their numbers ; and one class for 
a considerable time doubled its number every 
quarter, and was divided four times a year. 
Other examples might be mentioned. An in- 
teresting female whom we know, found peace 
with God in a prayer meeting, and went home 
and told her friends what great things the Lord 
had done for her. A deep impression was made 
upon their minds by her statements, and in less 
than six months her husband, her father, her 
brother, her lodger, and two of her sisters, were 
brought to the Saviour, and admitted into his 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 117 

church, as the result of her Christian exertions. 
A gentleman one sabbath evening, on his way 
to his usual place of worship, spoke to a female 
who was violating the sabbath, and in other 
respects sinning against the Lord, and prevailed 
with her to accompany him to the house of God. 
She was deeply awakened under the sermon 
she heard ; and in a few weeks obtained peace 
with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Her 
conversion attracted the attention of her com- 
panions in sin, many of whom became deeply 
impressed by her altered character ; and in one 
year, the conversion of that one female led, 
either directly or indirectly, to the conversion 
of more than fifty individuals. Another gentle- 
man of our acquaintance was, on a certain 
occasion, in a draper's shop on business, when 
a proud young man entered, and, as he was not 
immediately attended to, he began to use most 
profane and insulting language, and in other 
respects to behave most improperly. As soon 
as his wrath had a little abated, the gentleman 
in question called him on one side, and* said, 
" Sir, I hope you will not be offended with me, 
for expressing a sincere wish that you may in 
future avoid the temper which I have just wit- 
nessed, as it tends to injure you in the estimation 
of others, and is inconsistent with a preparation 



118 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

for heaven." " Do you know the eleventh 
commandment, sir V said he, sternly. " Yes, 
1 do," was the reply. " Then why don't you 
attend to it ?" " I am attending to it at this 
very moment." " You are not, sir ; or you would 
not have interfered with me ; for the eleventh 
commandment is that ' every man mind his own 
business.' " " If that be the eleventh command- 
ment," said the gentleman, " my conduct is in 
strict accordance with it ; for, as a Christian, it 
is my business to do all in my power to convert 
a sinner from the error of his ways, that, if 
possible, I may save a soul from death, and hide 
a multitude of sins. But I think the eleventh 
commandment is the ' new commandment ' given 
unto us, ' that we love one another ;' and had I 
not loved you, I should not have warned you 
of your danger, but allowed you to sport with 
your soul on the brink of hell." He was silent 
for some time, and soon afterward departed in 
a very thoughtful mood. The words thus spoken 
proved like a nail fastened in a sure place, and 
resulted in the young man's conversion to God. 
The same gentleman, on another occasion, said 
something to an individual on the necessity of 
personal religion, and affectionately exhorted 
him to forsake his sins, and turn to the Lord 
with all his heart. Having done so, he left 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 119 

him ; and the next meeting took place in an- 
other country, after the lapse of several years. 
The gentleman was stopping at a lodging-house, 
in a large commercial town, and one day a per- 
son drove up in a carriage, and inquired for 
him. He was shown into the drawing-room ; 
and no sooner did he fix his eyes upon the gen- 
tleman, than he burst into tears, and wept loudly; 
but after a short time he recovered himself, and 
said, " Sir, I think you don't know me ; but 
perhaps you may remember saying something 
to an individual about his soul, several years ago, 
whom you met in R under somewhat pain- 
ful circumstances." " I have some faint recol- 
lection of it," said the gentleman. " That 
individual," said he, " soon afterward left the 
country, but with a deeply wounded conscience, 
occasioned by what you said to him ; and when 
he arrived in this town, he sought the Lord with 
all his heart, and soon obtained peace through 
believing. He is now happy in God ; also a 
leader and local preacher in the Wesleyan Con- 
nection ; and that individual is now before you." 
Thus was the bread cast upon the waters found 
after many days. 

Perhaps Christians cannot adopt a more 
efficient plan of communicating religious truth 
to others, with the view of awakening their 



120 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

consciences, and exciting them to seek the sal- 
vation of their souls, than that of detailing, on 
proper occasions, the particulars of their own 
conversion. This plan was acted upon, not 
only by David, as we learn from several of his 
psalms, but also by the great apostle to the 
Gentiles, as his public discourses sufficiently 
prove ; and indeed it was a mode of teaching 
very generally adopted by the primitive Chris- 
tians. It is true that great consistency of cha- 
racter is absolutely necessary to render this 
method of seeking to do good successful; but 
the same is necessary to give efficiency to any 
other mode of usefulness ; for if Christians 
would win souls to Christ, their conversation 
must be " chaste, and coupled with fear :" if 
they would have others to glorify their heavenly 
Father, they must " let their light so shine be- 
fore men, that they may see their good works :" 
and if they would see the wicked honor God, 
in the day of visitation, they must, " by well- 
doing, put to silence the ignorance of foolish 
men." 

But, perhaps, many persons who wish to speak 
to sinners, with the view of bringing them to 
Christ, are deterred from so doing in consequence 
of not knowing how to begin and prosecute the 
work with any hope of success. The following 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 121 

extract from the letter of a lady may afford such 
persons counsel and encouragement. Knowing 
the usefulness of its author in the conversion of 
sinners, we applied to her for information rela- 
tive to her proceedings, and received the follow- 
ing communication :— 

" I was from home at a watering-place when 
the Lord revealed himself to my soul, and, in 
the overflowings of my first love, I began the 
same week to speak in his name. One day, 
while walking out, I met with a lady, a perfect 
stranger, whom I accosted by saying, 'You 
seem ill and alone, like myself.' 'Yes,' said 

the lady. \ Pray are you from L V ' I am, 

and have been seeing my husband to the packet, 
who is returning home this morning.' 'I am 

also from L : may I ask what place of 

worship you attend V ' I attend Mr. D^ 's 

chapel.' 6 Have you found peace with God V 
1 No ; and that is a subject which greatly 
troubles me.' I then told her how it might be 
obtained, and encouraged her, by my own expe- 
rience, to look for it at once. I returned to my 
lodgings, and wrote to a friend in L , request- 
ing him to call upon this lady's husband, and 
speak to him about his soul. He did so ; and 
the work thus commenced was followed up, 
until, by the blessing of God upon the means 



122 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

used, the lady, her husband, and their servant, 
were all truly converted. On my return to my 
family, I felt a deeper baptism of the Spirit, and 
longed to be useful in bringing souls to God 
Soon afterward I had occasion to go into a store 
to make a purchase ; and being shown an article 
that I inquired for, I said to the lady who served 
me, ' This is too gay.' ' What !' said she, ' are 
you a Methodist ?' I replied in the affirmative ; 
and, turning pale, she said, ' My father belonged 

to that body, and sometimes preached in 

chapel.' I then spoke to her on the importance 
of personal religion ; and told her that I should 
feel great pleasure in accommodating her with 
a seat, if she would attend the chapel. She 
consented, went, and was deeply affected. The 
same week I called upon her, to give her such 
advice as I might find to be necessary; and ascer- 
tained that her husband kept a gambling-house. 
They had four children, the two eldest of whom 
were very fond of the theatre ; but I prevailed 
on them to attend the Sunday school ; and, after 
many an interview with the family, the conver- 
sion of the mother and her two eldest children 
has been the blessed result. Some time after 
this I went into another store to purchase a box, 
and the person who showed it to me was an 
interesting young woman, with a child in her 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 123 

arms. I began to caress the child, and made some 
inquiries about it, when she said, ' I am not the 
mistress of this house ; but, as my husband left 
me when this child was but a month old, I came 
here to my sister.' ' Poor dear !' said I, ' if you 
have not religion, you very greatly need its sup- 
port and comfort.' On inquiry I found she did 
not attend any place of worship regularly, and I 

invited her to attend: chapel, and said that 

it would afford me pleasure to do her all the 
good in my power. She complied with the 
invitation, and called upon me the next week 
to inquire for a situation, when a very suitable 
one most providentially offered, to which I sent 
her, giving her the best advice in my power, 
and feeling persuaded that the Lord would bring 
her to himself. In a few weeks she found the 
blessing of pardon, while her excellent sister 
was praying with her, and is now a most devoted 
Christian. On another occasion, having to get 
a card signed by a gentleman, I went to his 
house, and his wife told me he was not at home, 
but would shortly return, and invited me to take 
a seat. I did so, and said to her, ' You don't 
seem to have good health.' 'No,' said she, ' I 
have too much sorrow, anxiety, and labor to be 
well.' I embraced this opportunity of speaking 
to her affectionately on the necessity of possess- 



124 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

ing true religion, and inquired if she* attended a 
place of worship. She told me she did not, but 
her daughter had a sitting in a Methodist chapel, 
where she had attended for four years, but that 
no person had ever spoken to her, or taken the 
least notice of her. I felt this to be a great 
reproach, and determined to see the daughter. 
In a few days I waited upon her, and the Lord 
so blessed that interview that she at once united 
herself with God's people, and, in a short time, 
was made happy in the love of Christ. I might 
detail other cases ; but, perhaps, these will suf- 
fice as specimens of my humble attempts to serve 
my generation by the will of God, and as illus- 
trations of that truth which states that ' God hath 
chosen the foolish things of the world to con- 
found the wise, that no flesh should glory in his 
presence.'" 

Most of the parties to whose conversion this 
letter refers are fully known to the author, and 
of their piety he entertains not the slightest 
doubt. 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 125 



CHAPTER VII. 

It is not possible for men to occupy a neutral 
position in reference to the salvation of souls ; 
for " he that gathereth not with me," says Christ, 
" scattereth abroad :" that is, he that does not 
co-operate with Christ, in the great work of 
saving souls, does not, on that account, remain 
neutral, but places himself, by his omission of 
duty, in opposition to their salvation. It is either 
the duty of Christians to endeavor to save souls, 
or it is not : if it be their duty, and souls perish 
through their neglect of it, the Lord, most assu- 
redly, will not hold them guiltless, when he 
shall come to make inquisition for blood. " If 
thou forbear," says Solomon, " to deliver them 
that are drawn unto death, and those that are 
ready to be slain : if thou sayest, Behold, we 
knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the 
heart consider it ? and he that keepeth thy soul 
doth he not know it ? and shall he not render 
to every man according to his works ?" We 
ought not to forget the fate of the man who hid 
his talent in the earth. When his lord came 
to reckon with him, he said, " Lord, I was afraid, 
and went and hid thy talent in the earth ; lo, 
there thou hast that is thine." He did not, like 



126 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

many persons, misapply his talent, but allowed 
it to remain dormant, and was, in consequence, 
adjudged a slothful and wicked servant, and cast 
into outer darkness. It is to be feared that many 
persons, within the pale of the Christian church, 
very much resemble this man. They have a 
talent for usefulness, but are afraid to use it lest 
some should consider them obtrusive, others 
withhold from them their favors, and others treat 
them with contempt ; and hence they will permit 
their customer, their neighbor, their friend, or 
even their relative, to drop into hell without 
ever warning him of his danger. O the horror- 
smitten countenances that will appear on the 
coming of the Lord, when the hidden talents 
shall be produced, and when it shall be made 
manifest that so many souls have been lost 
through the neglect of others ! Perhaps a child 
through the neglect of a parent, or a wife through 
the neglect of a husband, or a countless multi- 
tude through the neglect of those with whom 
the Lord had intrusted the gospel, and com- 
manded them to preach it to every creature. 
It is a most distressing thought that tens of 
thousands of souls are now writhing in the 
agony of hell, that, in all probability, might 
have been enjoying the glories of heaven, had 
Christians done their duty. Could we be 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 127 

placed in circumstances affording an opportu- 
nity of conversing with those lost souls, and 
were they permitted to detail to us the occasion 
of their condemnation and misery, we should, 
no doubt, hear what would make our ears tingle, 
and our hearts to quail. 

One would probably say, " I had a Christian 
relative who devoted much of his time and pro- 
perty to the spread of religion in the world. 
He was a man of talent, and frequently presided 
at Bible and missionary meetings, with great 
ability and effect. His fame, as an accomplished 
speaker and devoted Christian, spread through 
the whole country in which he lived, and I felt 
proud of my popular relation. He often called 
to see me, and made frequent and kind inquiries 
respecting my health, and the state of my busi- 
ness, and was evidently wishful that I should 
succeed in my temporal affairs. But, strange 
to say, he never made any inquiries respecting 
my soul. Having been invited by a gentleman, 
with whom I did considerable business, to meet 
a dinner party at his house on a certain sabbath 
day, I consented and went. The party was 
very large, and, as I wished to observe the 
etiquette of the table, and to make myself as 
agreeable as possible, I drank wine with nearly 
all the guests, and never suspected my having 



128 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

taken too much until, on rising from the table, 
I felt it was with the greatest difficulty I could 
maintain a proper equilibrium. On my way 
home after midnight, I got into bad company, 
and was robbed of all the cash I had upon me. 
When I perfectly recovered from the effects of 
wine, I perceived, with indescribable remorse, 
my degradation, and solemnly resolved never 
more to be found in such circumstances. In 
the course of a few days, my relative became 
acquainted with my conduct, and soon afterward 
called upon me. the pang I felt on seeing 
him approach, believing that he was coming to 
call me to an account for my wickedness ; and I 
resolved to frame no apology, but make a frank 
confession of my guilt, and assure him of my 
fixed determination to become a religious man. 
He had great influence with me, and might 
have then used that influence with the happiest 
effect. But will fiends themselves believe' that 
he never referred to the subject ? He talked about 
the state of the weather, made several remarks 
on political and commercial affairs, complimented 
me on the taste I evinced in laying out my gar- 
den, instituted some inquiries relative to the 
trade in which I was engaged, and offered many 
suggestions how I, might acquire a very hand- 
some fortune. I heard all this with impatience, 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 129 

as I believed such observations were but pre- 
paratory to his entering upon another subject 
which had filled my soul with indescribable 
anguish, and I wished him at once to name it, 
that I might obtain some relief in confessing 
my sin, and in penitently telling him all my 
mind. But let all the devils around me know 
that he departed without ever mentioning the 
matter, and left his distressed relation in the 
most wretched and perilous circumstances, 
without having put forth one effort to relieve 
and save him. That was the turning point of 
my life. I now began to think more favorably 
of what I had done, and soon afterward fell 
into a similar snare ; but, on returning home, 
my horse fell with me, and, in a few moments, 
I found myself in this flame. My relation is 
still alive, and traveling about the country as 
usual, making eloquent speeches on the duty 
of Christians to save souls. Hypocrite ! wretch! 
murderer ! O that I had him here ! I would 
drag him through the hottest fire of hell, and, 
with all the ardor which the never-dying worm 
inspires, I would imprecate ten thousand devils 
to seize him, and twice ten thousand curses to 
rest upon him !" 

Another might be heard to say, " I lived in a 
Christian family for several years, but having 
9 



130 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

so much to do on .the sabbath, I could seldom 
get to a place of worship. It is true we had 
family prayer regularly when alone, but in the 
presence of strangers it was dispensed with, 
which led me to conclude that the service was 
one to which my master and mistress attached 
very little importance, and from which I should 
certainly have absented myself, had it not been 
specified in my agreement that I was not to do 
so. My mind, on one occasion, was, however, 
deeply impressed, in consequence of the sudden 
death of a near relative ; and when at family 
prayer that evening I wept much. On rising 
from my knees I felt that I could have given 
all that I had for my master or mistress to 
speak with me on a preparation for death ; but, 
although they both sympathized with me in my 
affliction, they touched not the subject that so 
deeply affected my heart. The next evening, 
a party of Christian friends being invited to the 
house, I felt some comfort in the hope of then 
hearing much that would do me good, especi- 
ally as a minister and his wife were to be of 
the party. But judge of my surprise, that not 
one word was said on the subject of religion ; 
but the conversation of the evening was the 
veriest gossip. The ladies talked about the 
fashions of the day, and the scandal of the neigh- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 131 

borhood ; and the gentlemen, as they smoked 
their cigars and drank their wine, appeared to 
vie with each other who could relate the most 
facetious anecdotes, until the house re-echoed 
with peals of laughter. The guests departed 
about midnight ; and although the ladies affec- 
tionately saluted each other at parting, and 
declared they had never spent a happier even- 
ing in all their lives, the proceedings of that 
party destroyed all my good impressions, and 
induced me to believe that there was no reality 
in religion. I continued in my situation until I 
married ; and was frequently afterward visited 
by my master and mistress, yet they never, on 
any occasion, said one word to me about my 
soul ; and when I was seized with the disease 
which brought my body to the grave, and my 
soul to this place of torment, they frequently 
called to make kind inquiries about my health, 
and sent me presents of fruit, but never once 
referred to my soul. O, cursed be their name 
for ever ; for had they done their duty I should 
not now have been in this lake of fire and 
brimstone ! and cursed be that party whose 
trifling conduct destroyed the only deep con- 
victions I ever had of the necessity of personal 
religion !*' 

A third might probably say, li I also was 



132 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

connected with a religious family. I was the 
daughter of Christian parents, and my father 
held an official station in the church. He was 
very regular in his religious duties ; and was, 
with the exception of a hasty temper, considered 
a very good man. My mother was also a pro- 
fessor of religion, but evinced very little energy 
in the cause she espoused. As I was the only 
daughter, they professed great affection for me ; 
and, when a child, gave me everything for which 
I cried. I was, therefore, completely spoiled, 
annoying every visitor that came to the house ; 
and when the minister of the church to which 
they belonged called one day, and talked to me 
about the necessity of children remembering their 
Creator, they interrupted him, saying, ' Emma 
is a good little girl, sir.' Often did they detail 
to their friends my numerous excellences, and 
speak of my talents with ecstasy, until I thought 
myself a perfect prodigy, and became vain and 
conceited beyond all endurance. In due time 
they sent me to a fashionable boarding school, 
where I was to be instructed in all the accom- 
plishments, and be prepared to enter what they 
called ' good society.' During my absence 
from home I received many letters from my 
parents, couched in the most endearing lan- 
guage, and sometimes containing a slight allu- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 133 

sion to religion ; but never so as to excite my 
fears, or lead me to suspect they thought my soul 
in danger of perishing. The school to which I 
was sent was not a religious one ; and I was 
taught dancing, and allowed to read novels and 
other books of similar tendency, until my mind 
was filled with the most romantic and impure 
ideas. After I had been some time at school, 
and a few days before one of the vacations, I 
met with a person, while walking out, who sup- 
plied my father's house with milk, and was 
delighted to see him. He was a sincere Chris- 
tian ; and, in conversation, he told me that I 
must alter my conduct, and turn to the Lord, or 
I should lose my soul. This filled me with great 
indignation. To have been told this plain truth 
by any one would have been very unwelcome, 
but to be told it by my father's milkman was 
what my proud and mortified spirit could not 
brook, and I determined to let my parents know 
how I had been insulted. It is true that what 
he said excited some alarm in my mind as to 
my safety; but then I knew that my parents 
were religious, and greatly loved me, and as 
they had never spoken so to me, I concluded 
that the milkman was a meddling fanatic. Ac- 
cordingly, on my return, I mentioned the matter 
to my mother, who said T must not think any- 



134 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

thing of it, as the old man was very ignorant ; 
and although he had offended me, yet she be- 
lieved he meant no harm. This confirmed 
me in my favorable opinion of my own state. 
When I had finished my education my parents 
allowed me to dress in the gayest style, and to 
attend worldly parties and balls two or three 
times a week. My mother told me that she 
was delighted to hear that I was greatly ad- 
mired in the different circles into which I had 
been introduced ; for she had heard from differ- 
ent quarters very laudatory remarks respecting 
my accomplishments and personal attractions. 
This was, of course, gratifying to my own mind, 
and led me to study, from morning to night, 
how I could make those attractions still more 
irresistible, until I took cold in returning from 
a ball, which laid the foundation of that fatal 
disease which terminated my earthly life. 
During my illness, I was treated with exquisite 
tenderness ; and for the last few weeks of my 
mortal existence the minister, already referred 
to, frequently called to inquire how I was, and 
to speak with me on the subject of salvation ; 
but my parents thanked him each time for his 
kindness, and said, that as I was so very weak, 
and the physician had ordered me to be kept 
quiet, they thought any conversation on that sub- 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 135 

ject might excite me too much, and they hoped 
my affliction would in a short time take a favor- 
able turn. The night on which I died my dis- 
ease was attended with delirium ; and, during a 
lucid interval, I perceived my mother weeping, 
and heard my father say something about a 
rock, but I understood not his meaning, for my 
delirium returned, and I remember nothing 
more that was said. I remained in a state of 
unconsciousness until the wailings of the damn- 
ed, and the gnawings of this undying worm, 
revealed my fearful doom. My parents are 
now clothed in mourning, and receiving the 
condolence of numerous friends, to whom they 
are communicating, with melancholy interest, 
all the particulars of my affliction and death; 
and declaring that I was a most accomplished 
young lady, exciting universal admiration ; and 
although they did not question me on the state 
of my soul, lest it should injuriously excite me, 
yet they hoped I died in peace, as I nodded 
assent to what my father said when he directed 
me to rest upon the rock. O cruel parents ! 
why did they allow me to die without knowing 
the state of my soul ? Had they not been so 
blinded by their earthly affection, they must 
have known that I was unprepared for death. 
I had never been converted; and if they had 



136 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

loved me as they ought to have done, they would 
have told me so ; and, instead of feeding the 
pride of my depraved heart, they would have 
wept and prayed over me until I had given my- 
self to God ; but, alas ! all that my parents did 
for their only daughter was to garnish her as a 
victim for the slaughter. It is true they may 
say, ' We spared no expense to prepare our 
dear Emma for polite society ; and had the 
satisfaction of knowing that her accomplish- 
ments were attractive, and her talents much 
above mediocrity ;' and, with equal truth, they 
may also say, ' Her lovely form we so much 
admired is now the food of worms ; and, through 
our neglect of duty> her precious soul is for ever 
lost.' ? 

Perhaps a fourth might say to us, " My case 
is worse than any yet related. I was the son 
of a wealthy merchant, and occasionally attend- 
ed a place of worship. One evening, while 
hearing a celebrated minister, I was awakened 
to a sense of my danger, and determined to 
amend my ways. My father was not religious, 
but many of his servants were ; and, although 
none of them had ever spoken to me on the 
subject of personal religion, I determined to 
open my mind to my father's head clerk, in 
whose piety and judgment I had the greatest 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 137 

confidence. I did so, and he encouraged me 
much; and gave me suitable advice on the 
important matter which so deeply affected my 
mind. I now became very much attached to 
him, and embraced every opportunity of being in 
his presence, to hear words whereby I might 
be saved. I thought if ever there was a good 
man upon the earth, he was that man. But, 
alas for me ! at the time I thus made him my 
confident he was embezzling my father's pro- 
perty. When his honesty was first suspected 
I indignantly repelled the allegation, and con- 
tinued to do so until his guilt was clearly proved. 
My mind was fatally injured by this occurrence, 
as it induced me to believe there was no truth 
in experimental religion ; and however consist- 
ent a man might apparently be as its professed 
recipient, I ever afterward thought the outward 
form was but a mask put on for the purpose of 
accomplishing, with better effect, some sinister 
object. I now embraced infidel principles, 
and the Bible was superseded by novels and 
plays ; and the house of God was forsaken for 
the theatre, and other places of dissipation, until 
I became a most flagrant transgressor; and when 
I had any fears as to my principles, the recol- 
lection of the conduct of my father's clerk im- 
mediately removed them. In this slate I was 



138 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

seized with a malignant fever, and, in a few 
days, died raving mad. The wretch whose 
wickedness brought me to this place will soon 
be with me ; and if anything can mitigate my 
wo in this region of fire and wrath, it will be to 
see him here, insulted and tortured by every 
demon, and hear him weep and wail, and gnash 
his teeth for ever and for ever." 

And it is not improbable that a fifth might 
add, " My case is the most deplorable. I was 
a pagan idolator, and sacrificed to the gods of 
the earth. Christians to whom the gospel was 
given, and whose business it was to preach it to 
every creature, neglected their duty, and allow- 
ed myself and thousands of my countrymen to 
perish in our ignorance. Instead of giving 
their money for the spread of religion in the 
dark nations of the earth, some of them spent 
it in rich apparel, costly furniture, splendid equi- 
page ; and in other modes of indulging the lust 
of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of 
life. Others left to their children more than 
was just or beneficial ; for that which they 
ought to have given for the support of missions, 
and which would have been the means of saving 
myself and many others from coming to this 
place of misery, has in very many instances 
been the occasion of bringing their offspring 



CONVERSION OF THE WOLRD. 139 

here. Hark ! Millions are now howling around 
me, and hear how bitterly they are cursing their 
unfaithful parents." 

To be in any respect accessory to the loss of 
a soul is the very acme of all cruelty. O that 
every person implicated in this foul and satanic 
deed would solemnly pause until he compute 
the value of a soul, and what is comprehended 
in its loss ! Let him examine its nature as a 
spiritual existence, endowed with immense 
powers of receiving pleasure or pain, and in- 
vested with immortality. Let him compute, if 
he can, the price of its redemption, which jus- 
tice demanded, and the Son of God paid in suf- 
fering and blood. Let him think of " the fire 
and brimstone," the " horrible tempest," the 
" smoke of the torment," the " bottomless pit," 
the " blackness of darkness," the " weeping and 
wailing," and other fearful representations which 
the Scriptures give of the miseries of a lost soul. 
And when he has duly considered these things 
in their relation to both God and man, then let 
him proceed in his work of death if he dare ! 
With the bleeding Lamb before his eyes, and the 
shrieks of the damned in his ears, let him de- 
stroy another soul if he dare ! Nay, let him 
destroy another soul if he can ! If conscience 
will allow him — if reason will allow him — if 



140 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

humanity will allow him! But conscience 
cries, desist ! Reason cries, desist ! Humanity- 
cries, desist ! Is there a man in all the Christian 
church whose heart will still allow him to stain 
his skirts with the blood of souls ? If there be, 
he should not only be expelled from the con- 
gregation of the godly, but blotted from the pages 
of the human kind, as he must be more of a de- 
mon than of a man to be capable of such cruelty. 
If on the loss of a soul both man and beast should 
be clothed in sackcloth ; if every creature capa- 
ble of emotion should join in one loud and dole- 
ful lamentation ; if every tree of the forest, and 
herb of the field, should immediately droop like 
the weeping willow ; if every dew-drop should 
be mingled with blood, to indicate the agony of 
maternal nature ; and if the sun should put on 
his sable robes, as the first mourner on the 
occasion, the expression of sorrow would in- 
deed be affecting ; but it would fall far short of 
giving us any adequate conception of the misery 
occasioned by the loss of a soul. It is cruel to 
destroy the character of man, either by artifice 
or falsehood ; the property of man, either by fraud 
or violence ; the life of man, as did the Spar- 
tans, for a mere pastime amusement ; but what 
is character, however dear, property, however 
valuable, or life itself, however precious, when 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 141 

compared with the soul 1 Character may be 
regained, property may be recovered, and if a 
man die he shall live again ; but when the soul 
is once lost, it is lost for ever ! 

But he who is accessory to the loss of a soul, 
not only acts a cruel part to a fellow-creature, 
but places himself in direct opposition to the 
glorious designs of his Saviour's love. That 
he might save souls, he left the bosom of his 
Father, laid aside the form of God in which he 
had subsisted, took upon him the seed of Abra- 
ham, and appeared a babe in Bethlehem's 
manger. That he might save souls he enrolled 
himself with the peasantry of Judea, pursued 
the avocations of his reputed father, endured the 
insults of a wicked and perverse generation, and 
had not where to lay his head. That he might 
save souls, he encountered the great adversary 
in the wilderness, wept over the guilty city of 
Jerusalem, agonized in the garden of Gethse- 
mane, and bled upon the cross of Calvary. He, 
therefore, who is accessory to the loss of a soul, 
by the omission of duty, or by placing a stum- 
bling-block in his brother's way, " destroys him 
for whom Christ died." 

Take another view of the subject. The 
apostle says, " Let him know that he which 
converteth a sinner from the error of his wavs 



142 CONVERSIOxN OF THE WORLD. 

shall save a soul from death, and hide a multi- 
tude of sins." He shall " save a soul from 
death /" From spiritual death here, and from 
eternal death hereafter. And will not every 
Christian endeavor to save a soul from death 1 
If he saw his neighbor's house on fire, would 
he not hasten to quench the flame ? If he saw 
a fellow-creature drowning, would he not plunge 
into the river to his rescue, or furnish him with 
some means of escape ? Or if he saw multi- 
tudes in the city dying of the plague, and he 
possessed an infallible remedy, would he not 
apply it without delay, that the plague might be 
stayed, and especially if his sovereign had in- 
trusted him with it for that purpose ? But what 
is the saving of burning houses, drowning men, 
and dying multitudes, when compared with the 
saving of one soul from death ? He who saves 
a soul from death performs a greater work than 
he that saves a land from famine, a city from 
the plague, or a country from an invading foe. 
Then let every Christian bring all his capabili- 
ties to bear upon the accomplishment of this 
important and momentous work. Reader, have 
you talents at your command ? in this woik let 
them be efficiently employed. Have you influ- 
ence in society ? in this work let it be diligently 
exerted. Have you zeal in your 'heart? in this 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 143 

work let it ardently burn. Have you devotion 
in your spirit 1 in this work let it ascend as 
incense before the throne of God. Have you 
wealth at your disposal ? in this work let it be 
liberally expended. Your duty is plain ; and 
for its performance humanity is entreating, and 
Christianity is exhorting, importuning, and com- 
manding. The case is urgent ; for sinners are 
perishing — perishing while you are reading, 
perishing by thousands, perishing within the 
reach of help, perishing in your city, and at 
your door. Therefore go out quickly, and 
what you do, do at once, do it with all your 
might, do it in spite of all opposition, and upon 
your head shall abundantly descend the bless- 
ings of them that are ready to perish. 

Nor are these the only motives the Christian 
has to engage in this interesting work ; for in 
converting a sinner from the error of his ways, 
he not only saves a soul from death, but hides a 
multitude of sins. Every sinner is guilty of a mul- 
titude of sins — sins of omission and sins of com- 
mission — sins of the heart, sins of the lips, and 
sins of the life ; but when conversion takes place 
all these sins are covered by the great propitiatory 
sacrifice, blotted out by the precious blood of 
Christ, and divine justice sees them no more. 
But the word rendered "hide" is susceptible 



144 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

of another meaning ; and we are much inclined 
to believe that its meaning here is, to withhold 
from sight, rather than to withdraw from sight, 
or to hide by prevention, rather than by covering. 
" One sinner," we are told, " destroys much 
good." He destroys good desires, good prin- 
ciples, and good morals ; but, when converted, 
a multitude of sins are prevented ; and not only 
sins which he would have committed, but sins 
in others, who might have been influenced by 
his example, or been so unfortunate as to fall 
into some of his destructive snares. For in- 
stance, had any person succeeded in converting 
Voltaire, Hume, Paine, Owen, or those deeply 
degraded beings whose "paths incline unto 
death," and " whose guests are in the depths 
of hell," what infidelity and blasphemy, what 
intemperance and lasciviousness, what robberies 
and murders, and what other forms of vice, ruin- 
ing many families, breaking many hearts, and 
destroying many souls, would have been pre- 
vented ! And, on the other hand, what multi- 
tudes of sins have been prevented by the agents 
who led Luther, Wesley, Whitefield, and other 
successful ministers, to the foot of the cross, and 
the enjoyment of salvation — sins which might 
have brought the fearful judgments of heaven 
upon families, communities, and nations ! 



CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 145 

Reader, if you wish to benefit, not only the 
present generation, but generations yet unborn, 
and to give a moral impulse to the world which 
shall live when you are dead, labor to convert 
a sinner. There lives in yonder cottage a poor 
man, with whom you have great influence, but 
who is without God and without hope in the 
world. He is purchased by the same blood, 
and destined for the same eternity as yourself. 
He is capable of receiving instruction, and may, 
by the blessing of God upon your efforts, be 
brought to the enjoyment of salvation. Will 
you not, therefore, make a vigorous attempt to 
secure the accomplishment of that important 
object ? Remember, if you, by the blessing of 
Heaven, succeed in converting him, however 
little interest the event may excite in this 
degenerate world, it will be deeply interesting 
to the angelic host, and give such a moral 
impulse to society, as may, in a few years, be 
felt at the very antipodes, and at last appear in 
tens of thousands of glorified spirits, at the right 
hand of God. 

There are also perishing multitudes in the 
heathen world, calling for the gospel ; and many 
ambassadors in the Christian church ardently 
desiring to preach it t© them. Will you not, 
therefore, assist in furnishing the necessary 
10 



146 CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 

funds ? The Saviour commands you Jo do so ; 
and should any of the heathen perish through 
your culpable neglect, how will you meet them 
at the bar of God? May the Lord in mercy 
hide you from their upbraiding glance, as they 
turn from the judgment-seat to meet their fearful 
doom! 



THE END, 



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Christian Perfection: 

The Scripture Doctrine Stated and Defended; 

A CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL 

EXAMINATION OF THE CONTROVERSY, 

both ancient and modern; 

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Bg <8>tQv%z fptck, J0.jP. 

One volume 12mo. Pages 484. Price One dollar. 

This work is well-timed, and Dr. Peck lias conferred an important 
favor upon the Christian public by its publication. The Wesleyan 
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Though several smaller works have been written on the subject 
of Christian perfection, the book before us supplies a place not 
previously occupied.— Christian Repository. 

We have read this work with great satisfaction, and recommend 
it to the public with a hearty good will. It is thoroughly Wes- 
leyan throughout. — Southern Christian Advocate. 

It is a book for the times, and will do much toward defending 
and promoting the great cause of holiness. — Western Ch. Advocate. 

A vein of hallowed piety and patient research is conspicuous 
throughout the volume. — (London) Wesleyan Methodist Magazine. 

Peck on Christian Perfection, 

AN ABRIDGED EDITION. 
Large I8mo. Pages 332. Price Fifty cents. 
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MISSIONARY BOOK FOR THE YOUNG. 

A FIRST BOOK ON MISSIONS. 

Pp. 200. With numerous cuts. 

This truly-excellent book is a reprint from the list 
of the London Religious Tract Society, with some re- 
visions. It was very popular in England, and we are 
much mistaken if it does not become equally so in 
America. It is filled with interesting exhibitions of 
heathen degradation and of missionary success. It is 
just the thing to form the minds of the tens of thou- 
sands of children committed to our spiritual care. 



SCRIPTURE CHARACTERS : 

LETTERS ON THE DISTINGUISHING EXCEL- 
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PERSONAGES. 

By the Rev. Robert Huston. Pp. 245. 

The peculiar characteristics of twenty-one of the 
principal persons mentioned in the Bible are very beau- 
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Suggestions for the Conversion 

OF THE WORLD, 

I Respectfully submitted to the Christian Church. 

FROM THE SEVENTH LONDON EDITION. 

Large 18mo. Price Thirty cents. 

, Mr. Young's object is to promote the exertions of every Christian 

! in his own sphere ; and he has ably shown that there is a loud 

call for such exertions, and sure warrant for expecting success. 

! This volume, though small, is truly valuable, and cannot fail to 

I be of service to every candid reader. — Wesleyan Magazine. 

j A faithful, affectionate, and powerful production. We earnestly 

hope it may be read and acted upon ; and "glorious things ''will 

then be "spoken of Zion, the city of our God." — Revivalist. 

The subject is of the last importance, and in the author's hands 

1 it has lost nothing by the mode of its management. Much has 

i been done in a brief space ; so much, indeed, that I could have 

| wished that space had been more ample. For general purposes, 

| however, its brevity and compactness will contribute to its 

| efficiency. The poorest may purchase, the busiest may peruse, 

! and the simplest may understand it. — Rev. Dr. Campbell. 

It is a heart-searching volume. Many of the suggestions are 
j most valuable, and I wish everything proposed was fairly tried. 
| It would present once more to the world the spectacle of a church 
in earnest ; God would give his blessing ; and again would mul- 
i titudes be added to his people such as should be saved.— Rev. 
j John Scott, President of the British Conference. 

A class-leader says, "About six months ago I introduced into 
my class Mr Young's plan of individual effort, and fifty new 
members have been added as the encouraging result, all of whom 
give evidence of a saving work of grace." 

Several members of my church have, for the last few months, 
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FROM THIS WORLD TO THAT WHICH IS TO COME. 

Bj) loljn Bttnjmn. 

With an Introduction, Index, Notes, etc. 

BY S. B. WICKENS. 
EMEELLISHED WITH A PORTRAIT AND OTHER ENGRAVINGS. 

Large \8mo. Pages 473. Price Fifty cents. 

A household book wherever the English language is known. 
One of the wonders of genius ; a book which charms the child 
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subject, excites the admiration of the man of letters. To have 
such a book, with its thousand healthful and refining influences, 
placed in any family, is a lasting good. — Biblical Repertory. 

Yet another edition, and one that will doubtless meet with a 
very cordial reception. The Introduction is a judicious, critical, 
and historical account of this great work, giving new facts and 
views on the subject, which will greatly interest the admirers of 
the allegory. The Notes are eminently practical and instructive. 
We have seen no edition to which we would more willingly accord 
the title of a " standard edition." — New-York Spectator. 

An excellent edition of this religious classic, and well adapted for 
younger readers as well as for adults. Bunyan's Progress should 
be by the side of the Bible in every Christ ian family : put it especially 
into the hands of your children; it will fascinate them from danger- 
ous books, and lead them in the way to heaven. — Ziori's Herald. 

This is a book for everybody, as our readers well know. But 
there is much choice in the editions. Lane and Tippett have just 
published one, which we think decidedly the best we ever saw- 
It is on good paper, with good print ; has a splendid likeness of 
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phy of the author. It also contains an index, and has a good 
selection of interesting notes, chiefly from the writings of Bunyan 
himself.— Guide to Holiness. 



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MEMOIR OF JONATHAN SAYILLE, 

OF HALIFAX, ENGLAND. 
INCLUDING HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

BY FRANCIS A. WEST. 

From the London edition. Pp. 90. 

This is the memoir of a poor little orphan boy, who, 
by ill-usage, became a cripple for life ; and who subse- 
quently was a Wesleyan local preacher of extensive 
usefulness. The greater part of the work is from his 
own pen. This book will attract the notice of readers 
of all ages, and we congratulate our friends on the op- 
portunity thus afforded them of an acquaintance with 
Jonathan Saville. 



KINDNESS TO ANIMALS. 

(A WORK WITH WHICH EVERY CHILD WILL 
BE DELIGHTED.) 

By Charlotte Elizabeth. Pp. 128. 

Of this excellent work, we have only to 
say, that the name of its authoress is a suf- 
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THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 

AMONG CHILDREN. 

TWENTY-FIVE NARRATIVES OF A RELIGIOU8 
AWAKENING IN A SCHOOL IN POMERANIA. 

FROM THE GERMAN. 

" We sincerely thank the translator and 
publishers for issuing this delightful little 
volume. We could not leave it till we had 
read every line, and we most cordially com- 
mend it to our readers. Parents and 
teachers should read it, and they will get 
encouragement in their efforts to lead the 
young to the Saviour. Little children 
should read it, and they will see how Jesus 
loves little children, and how he listens to and 
answers their prayers." — London Teacher's 
Offering. 

%* The Editor of the present edition has 
been able to give additional interest to the 
work by subjoining in the Appendix an ac- 
count of Dusselthal Abbey. 



MAB 8 1901 



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